US senators demand scrapping of Apple’s chip deal with a Chinese company over safety concerns
US senators fear that the deal poses threat to the country's national security.
The US government and technology giant Apple are currently sparring with each other over the latter's potential deal with Chinese chipmakerYangtze Memory Technologies Co.
Reportedly, the US senators fear that the deal poses threat to the country's national security.
Both Democratand Republican chairs of the senate intelligence committee recently wrote a letter to Avril Haines,director of national intelligence, requesting a review of the deal.
“We write to convey our extreme concern about the possibility that Apple Inc will soon procure 3D Nand memory chips from Yangtze Memory Technologies Co," wroteMark Warner andMarco Rubio, the Democratic chair and Republican vice-chair of the committee.
“Such a decision would introduce significant privacy and security vulnerabilities to the global digital supply chain that Apple helps shape given YMTC’s extensive, but often opaque, ties to the Chinese Communist party,” the letter read.
Moreover, the senators asked Haines to conduct a thorough investigation on the role YMTC plays in helping Chinese companies such as Huawei, which have been sanctioned by the White House.
Earlier, speaking to Financial Times, Apple remarked thatit was “evaluating” sourcing from YMTC for some iPhones in China.
For years, US led the technology battle with China. However, the tips have recently scaled in Beijing's favour. As reported by WION, according to astudypresented by Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), US could lose the tech competition to China if it does not take action on the 5G, AI, and microchip core fronts.
Read more:China could pip USA in the tech war by the end of the decade: Report
The report added that the tech race would be going through its critical phase inthe 2025-2030 period. It is during this window that Beijing might be able to edge out the USA if the current trend continues.
The report titled “Mid-Decade Challenges to National Competitiveness” further shed light on the fact that China has been making rapid advancements in the aforementioned core areas. It added that the USA has been playing catch-up on 5Gand microelectronics supply chains.
(With inputs from agencies)
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