A chip technology born in the United States called RISC-V is crucial to the future of China's chip industry, and Washington is discussing whether and how to restrict this technology. RISC-V grew from a computer lab at a university in California to become the basis for countless chips that handle computing tasks. RISC-V is essentially a general-purpose language used to design processors in devices such as smartphones, disk drives, Wi-Fi routers and tablets.
In recent months, RISC-V has sparked a new debate in Washington over expanding U.S. restrictions on Chinese exports of technology that could help fuel China's military development. That's because RISC-V, which can be downloaded for free from the Internet, has become a core tool for Chinese companies and government agencies that want to be on par with the United States in semiconductor design.
Last month, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party), led by Wisconsin Republican Representative Mike Gallagher, recommended the establishment of an interagency government committee to study the potential risks of RISC-V. Congressional aides have met with members of the Biden administration about the technology, and lawmakers and their aides have also discussed expanding restrictions to prevent U.S. citizens from providing help to China on RISC-V technology, according to congressional staff.
Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House Select Committee, said in a statement that the Chinese Communist Party "is already trying to use RISC-V's design architecture to undermine our export controls." He added that RISC-V participants should focus on technological advancement and "not the geopolitical interests of the Chinese Communist Party."
Arm Holdings, a British company that sells competing chip technology, has also lobbied officials to consider restrictions on RISC-V, three people familiar with the matter said. Biden administration officials are concerned about China's use of RISC-V but are wary of the complications that could come with trying to regulate the technology, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
The debate over RISC-V is complicated because the technology is modeled on open source software, free software like Linux that allows any developer to view and modify the original code used to make the software. This process encourages multiple competitors to innovate and weakens the market power of a single supplier.