ASSESSMENTS

The U.S. Weaponizes COVID-19 Anger Against China’s Tech Sector

May 6, 2020 | 10:00 GMT

An image displays rows of silicon wafers.

An image displays rows of silicon wafers. The semiconductor industry has become deeply globalized over the past 30 years. But the cold tech war between the United States and China, which are the two most important markets for electronics, now risk untangling that interconnected web. 

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The United States and China have been locked in a technology cold war for several years. The COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is now pressuring Washington to make even stronger moves against Beijing by fueling anti-China sentiment among U.S. voters and legislators alike. But the White House’s latest attempt to increase export controls on China and limit Beijing's overall access to U.S. technology will come at the cost of further fragmenting the global tech sector’s highly integrated supply chain network. ...