Sunway Microelectronics

History

2021: US blacklisting

On April 8, 2021, the US Department of Commerce added seven Chinese supercomputer manufacturers to the blacklist, citing national security concerns.

Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Sunway Microelectronics, Shanghai Center for High Performance Integrated Circuit Design, as well as the National Supercomputer Centers of Jinan, Shenzhen, Wuxi, Zhengzhou were blacklisted.

The listed organizations were reportedly American authorities engaged in the development of supercomputers used by the armed forces, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA as well as participated in destabilizing efforts China to modernize the armed forces and/or in weapons of mass destruction development programs.

The United States imposed sanctions on seven Chinese supercomputer manufacturers, including Sunway Microelectronics

The capabilities of supercomputers are extremely important for the development of many, and maybe almost all, modern weapons and national security systems, such as nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons, "said US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

The Commerce Department will use all its powers to prevent China from using American technology to support these destabilizing efforts to modernize the armed forces, she added.

Sanctions against these organizations come into force immediately. Companies on the sanctions list must apply for licenses from the Department of Commerce to receive goods from suppliers from the United States. However, the rules do not apply to goods from US suppliers that are already on the way.

According to The Washington Post, sanctions against Chinese high-performance computing centers are applied by the United States for the third time. Previously, such measures were introduced by Washington in 2019 and 2015.^[1][2]

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