Source: Scmp
China's stockpile of deep ultraviolet lithography machines—nearly 80% sourced from ASML before tightening restrictions—shows export controls lag behind actual enforcement. These tools can produce 7nm chips and high-bandwidth memory. The question for Western semiconductor advantage is no longer whether China can access frontier equipment, but whether accumulated inventory allows sustained indigenous production without new imports. The timeline for US-China semiconductor decoupling compresses, and unilateral export bans face limits in containing Chinese chipmaking.