China has banned US chip manufacturer Micron from participating in key infrastructure projects, citing the firm poses a risk to national security.
In a translated statement, the Chinese Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said: "The review found that Micron's products have serious network security risks, which pose significant security risks to China's critical information infrastructure supply chain, affecting China's national security."
No further details were provided by the CAC on Micron’s violations, but it added that Chinese operators of critical infrastructure have been ordered to stop buying Micron products which span from RAM modules, hard drives and chipsets.
Micron is the largest chip manufacturer in the US, and China counted for US$3.3 billion of Micron’s full-year 2022 revenue, which totalled US$30.7 billion.
The company said in a statement to the BBC: "We are evaluating the conclusion and assessing our next steps. We look forward to continuing to engage in discussions with Chinese authorities"
This is China’s first major move against a US technology company as tension escalates between China and the US. It mirrors the US banning equipment vendor Huawei being banned by the US government on the same grounds.
