Bipartisan US Lawmakers Concerned About China’s RISC-V Chip Dominance, Seek Biden Administration’s Response

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has expressed concerns about China’s growing dominance in RISC-V chip design technology and has sought a response from the Biden administration. RISC-V is an open-source technology that competes with proprietary technologies from companies such as Arm Holdings and Intel. While American companies like Qualcomm and Google have embraced RISC-V, many Chinese companies have also adopted it. Last month, Reuters reported that several influential lawmakers view China’s use of RISC-V as a potential national security threat because it is not subject to the export controls imposed by the US. Now, a broader group of 18 lawmakers, including five Democrats, has sent a letter to the Biden administration asking about its plans to prevent China from achieving dominance in RISC-V technology at the expense of US national and economic security. They also inquired about the possibility of requiring US companies to obtain an export license before collaborating with Chinese firms on RISC-V. The Commerce Department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter and stated that a response would be provided through the appropriate channels.