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Homeowners aren’t forced to decorate. “We want it to come from the heart,” said Mr. Du. He said hours of work go into the displays. “It makes you feel proud that people make it part of their tradition to see you.”

☆ Factbox: Chinese companies added to U.S. entity list
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday added Chinese memory chipmaker YMTC and 21 "major" Chinese players in the artificial intelligence chip sector to a trade blacklist, broadening its crackdown on China's chip industry. YMTC was added to the list over fears it could divert American technology to previously blacklisted Chinese tech giants Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [RIC:RIC:HWT.UL] and Hikvision (002415.SZ). Here is a brief overview of some of the key actions taken as part of the package:FRESH ENTITY LISTINGSThe Biden administration added 35 Chinese companies and one Japan-based subsidiary of a Chinese company (YMTC) to the entity list, barring their suppliers from selling them U.S. technology without a hard-to-obtain permit. REMOVALS FROM THE UNVERIFIED LISTThe Biden administration removed 27 Chinese entities from the unverified list. Companies are added to the unverified list if the United States cannot complete on-site visits to determine whether they can be trusted to receive sensitive U.S. technology exports, inspections which in China require approval from the commerce ministry.

☆ Biden blacklists China's YMTC, crackdowns on AI chip sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Alexandra Alper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday added Chinese memory chipmaker YMTC and 21 "major" Chinese players in the artificial intelligence chip industry to a trade blacklist, broadening its crackdown on China's chip industry. It also comes as Congress prepares to finalize legislation to bar the U.S. government from buying products that contain semiconductors made by YMTC, Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT or China's top chip manufacturer SMIC. The Commerce Department on Thursday also targeted nine Chinese entities for allegedly seeking to support China's military modernization, including Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group Co Ltd (SMEE), China's only lithography company. Two of the Chinese companies removed from the unverified list - YMTC and SMEE- were added to the entity list. Being added to the unverified list forces U.S. suppliers to perform greater due diligence before shipping to the targeted companies.

☆ Biden to blacklist China's YMTC, crackdown on AI chip sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Alexandra Alper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday plans to add Chinese memory chipmaker YMTC and 21 "major" Chinese players in the artificial intelligence chip industry to a trade blacklist, broadening its crackdown on China's chip industry, the Commerce Department said. A total of 35 Chinese entities will be added to the trade blacklist, known as the entity list. The Biden administration plans to remove 26 Chinese entities from the so-called unverified list thanks to successful site visits. Being added to the unverified list forces U.S. suppliers to perform greater due diligence before shipping to the targeted companies. Commerce Department officials have attributed greater cooperation from Beijing in site checks to a new rule announced in October.

"This falls into the category of a game changing view of Chinese companies because the threat of their delisting seems to have been eliminated," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Financial. However, the relief was not seen in Thursday's trading for U.S.-listed shares of Chinese companies, which were higher amid the news, but gave up gains and some ended sharply lower. Washington and Beijing reached a landmark deal in August to settle a long-running dispute over auditing compliance of U.S.-listed Chinese firms. Authorities in China have long been reluctant to let overseas regulators inspect local accounting firms, citing national security concerns. U.S. lawmakers in 2020 agreed to legislation that would oust Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges unless they adhere to American auditing standards.

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The Biden administration plans to remove some Chinese entities from a red flag trade list, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday amid closer cooperation with Beijing. The plan to remove them soon from the so-called "unverified" list is thanks to greater willingness from the Chinese government to permit U.S. site visits, the person said. The decision, which mean U.S. exporters will no longer have to conduct additional due diligence before sending goods to the Chinese entities, may not herald a broader thaw. Companies are added to the unverified list because the United States cannot complete on-site visits to determine whether they can be trusted to receive sensitive U.S. technology exports. In October, YMTC was added to the unverified list along with dozens of other Chinese entities, fueling widespread speculation that the company would be added to the entity list.

☆ U.S. lawmakers unveil bipartisan bid to ban China's TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Republican Senator Marco Rubio on Tuesday announced bipartisan legislation to ban China's popular social media app TikTok, ratcheting up pressure on owner ByteDance Ltd amid U.S. fears the app could be used to spy on Americans and censor content. The bill comes as scrutiny of TikTok has grown in Washington in recent weeks, after a failed bid by the Trump administration to ban the video-sharing app. TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoAlabama and Utah on Monday joined other U.S. states prohibiting the use of TikTok on state government devices and computer networks due to national security concerns. CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for months aiming to reach a national security agreement to protect the data of TikTok's more than 100 million users.

Starting with the Trump administration, the United States has been tightening the noose around China's high-tech ambitions. But why worry about older chip technology? “28 nanometer” refers to a chip technology commercially used since 2011. But it is a giant in older technology, including chips that regulate power flows in electronics. The importance of older chip technology hit the industry in the face in 2021 as a shortage of those chips prevented manufacturing of millions of cars and consumer electronics.

"The legal precedent is not on the side of the FTC," said Andre Barlow, an antitrust lawyer at Doyle, Barlow & Mazard PLLC. Barlow pointed to three recent mergers challenged by the FTC or Justice Department that were ultimately allowed to proceed. Those cases share something else in common with the proposed Microsoft deal: in each instance, a company would merge with a supplier in a so-called "vertical" merger. "Vertical merger challenges are really difficult to win so it will be an uphill battle for the FTC," said Roger Alford, who teaches law at the University of Notre Dame. Reuters reported last month that Microsoft was expected to offer remedies to EU antitrust regulators in the coming weeks to stave off formal objections to the deal.

☆ U.S. seeks to stop Microsoft's $69 bln bid for games maker Activision
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A person walks past a Microsoft store in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 20, 2022. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The Biden administration filed a complaint on Thursday aimed at blocking tech giant Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69 billion bid to buy "Call of Duty" games maker Activision , over concerns the deal would deny rivals access to popular games. Microsoft, which owns the Xbox, said in January 2022 that it would buy Activision for $68.7 billion in the biggest gaming industry deal in history. Shares in Microsoft and Activision both fell on news of the FTC complaint. Chair Lina Khan and the two Democrats on the commission voted to approve the complaint, while Commissioner Christine Wilson voted no.

☆ U.S. lawmakers ease planned curbs on Chinese chips amid corporate pushback
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Alexandra Alper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The final version no longer forbids contractors from "using" the targeted chips and pushes the compliance deadline back to five years from the immediate or two-year implementation deadlines included in the first version. Chips made by SMIC are commissioned by companies all over the world and can be found in products as diverse as cell phones and cars. They are difficult to identify because chips are not typically labeled with the names of the companies that manufacture them. Lawmakers released a final version of the NDAA Tuesday night. Schumer's office, SMIC, YMTC, CXMT and the Chamber of Commerce did not respond to requests for comment.

☆ U.S. lawmakers ease proposed curbs on Chinese chips amid corporate pushback
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Alexandra Alper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Chips made by SMIC are commissioned by companies all over the world and can be found in products as diverse as cell phones and cars. They are difficult to identify because chips are not typically labeled with the names of the companies that manufacture them. Lawmakers are expected to announce final language for the final package later this week, which may include the revised measure. SMIC, YMTC and CXMT, the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Chamber of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment. SMIC was blacklisted by the Trump administration over concerns the company aids the Chinese military.

☆ Biden to visit Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC's Arizona plant on Dec. 6-White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden plans to travel to Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC’s (TGLL.UL) Arizona facility on Dec. 6, the White House said. "The President will visit TSMC and discuss how his economic plan is leading to a manufacturing boom, rebuilding supply chains, and creating good-paying jobs in Arizona and across the country," the White House said. Reporting by David Shepardson; Writing by Alexandra AlperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoNov 25 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has banned approvals of new telecommunications equipment from China's Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) and ZTE (000063.SZ) because they pose "an unacceptable risk" to U.S. national security. "These new rules are an important part of our ongoing actions to protect the American people from national security threats involving telecommunications," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. ZTE, Dahua, Hytera and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FCC said in June 2021 it was considering banning all equipment authorizations for all companies on the covered list. That came after a March 2021 designation of five Chinese companies on the so-called "covered list" as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting U.S. communications networks: Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications Corp Hikvision and Dahua.

☆ Senators urge Pentagon to reconsider Gray Eagle drones for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of 16 U.S. senators pressed the Biden administration to carefully reconsider Ukraine's request for lethal Gray Eagle drones to fight Russia and asked the Pentagon to explain why it has not moved ahead, according to a copy of the letter. The Biden administration has so far rejected requests for the armable MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, which has an operational ceiling of 29,000 feet and would represent a great technological leap forward for Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesman said, "As a matter of policy, we do not comment on our communication with elected officials." The letter and its contents were reported on by the Wall Street Journal earlier on Tuesday. Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Alexandra Alper and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. House Republicans press TikTok on Chinese data sharing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Following election wins earlier this month, Republicans will take control of the House in January. The letter could be a sign of tough scrutiny they plan to apply to Chinese companies including TikTok, a target of the Republican administration of former President Donald Trump. But the Democratic Biden administration has also expressed concern about TikTok. Among other questions, the lawmakers asked TikTok to provide drafts of any agreement being negotiated with the Biden administration to allow TikTok to remain active in the United States. CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for months aiming to reach a national security agreement to protect the data of TikTok's more than 100 million users.

☆ U.S. FBI director says TikTok poses national security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. operations of Chinese-owned TikTok raise national security concerns, FBI Director Chris Wray said on Tuesday, flagging the risk that the Chinese government could harness the video-sharing app to influence users or control their devices. CFIUS and TikTok have been in talks for months aiming to reach a national security agreement to protect the data of TikTok's more than 100 million users. TikTok executive Vanessa Pappas told U.S. Congress in September that TikTok was making "progress toward a final agreement with the U.S. government to further safeguard U.S user data and fully address U.S. national security interests." While we can't comment on the specifics of those confidential discussions, we are confident that we are on a path to fully satisfy all reasonable U.S. national security concerns." Any security agreement with TikTok is expected to include data security requirements.

"This settlement makes it clear that companies must be transparent in how they track customers and abide by state and federal privacy laws." Arizona filed a similar case against Google and settled it for $85 million in October 2022. Texas, Indiana, Washington State and the District of Columbia sued Google in January over what they called deceptive location-tracking practices that invade users’ privacy. A consumer's location is key to helping an advertiser cut through the digital clutter to make the ad more relevant and grab the consumer's attention. Writing by Diane Bartz and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Anna Driver and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

David Vladeck, a former director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said there would likely be another investigation, and potentially another enforcement action before Twitter executives would be held personally liable. Many former FTC officials said the agency's current chair, Lina Khan, has shown interest in going after executives if consent orders are violated. The FTC on Thursday said it is "tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern. It is Twitter itself (not individual employees) who is a party and therefore only Twitter the company could be liable," he wrote. In the May settlement, Twitter agreed to pay $150 million and assess potential features for data privacy and security issues.

☆ YMTC could be added to U.S. trade blacklist next month: U.S. official
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Chinese memory chip maker YMTC and dozens of other Chinese entities are "at risk" of being added to a trade blacklist as soon as Dec. 6, a U.S. Commerce Department official said in prepared remarks seen by Reuters. Last month, 31 entities including YMTC were added to a list of companies that U.S. officials have been unable to inspect, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing and starting a 60 day-clock that could trigger the tougher penalties. YMTC and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. U.S. exporters must conduct additional due diligence before sending goods to entities placed on the "unverified list" and may have to apply for more licenses. Once a company is added to the entity list, its U.S. suppliers must seek a special license to ship even low tech items to it.

☆ Pentagon, U.S. arms makers to meet on labor and supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Prior meetings between Pentagon officials and top arms makers including Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N) and General Dynamics Corp (GD.N) were focused on Ukraine and hypersonic weapon development. Pandemic related supply-chain issues are still hurting defense contractors because components and materials fail to arrive on time, which delays production and ultimately payment. read moreTHE LONGEST POLEIn the meantime, the defense industry is taking steps on its own to shore up supplies and labor. "If I had to boil it down to the longest pole in the tent, it's the labor issues that are pervasive throughout the supply chain," Raytheon Chief Financial Officer Neil Mitchill told Reuters. read moreReporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Alexandra Alper and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden administration expects near term deal with allies on China export curbs-official
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The Biden administration expects to ink a deal with allies in the near-term to bring them on board with new rules curbing China's access to sophisticated chipmaking tools, a senior Commerce Department official said on Thursday. Earlier this month, the Commerce Department published a sweeping set of export controls, including measures tightly restricting Chinese access to U.S. chipmaking technology, vastly expanding its reach in its bid to slow Beijing's technological and military advances. But it faced criticism for failing to bring key allies on board with the equipment curbs, since Japanese and Dutch firms, along with U.S. companies, produce chipmaking equipment. Estevez serves as under secretary of commerce for industry and security, overseeing restrictions on exports to countries like Russia and China. Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Karen FreifeldOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ex-ambassador says the US and its allies need to bring Hungary's authoritarian leader 'to his senses' as he and Turkey's Erdogan hold NATO's expansion hostage
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Hungary and Turkey are the only two states that haven't approved adding Finland and Sweden to NATO. One ex-diplomat told Insider the US and its allies need to bring Orbán "to his senses." Hungary and Turkey, however, have yet to sign off on adding new members to the alliance and are instead purposefully holding up proceedings. Both leaders have tried to leverage their own strategic interests in exchange for approving what would be a major expansion of the NATO alliance, interests like security guarantees or pleasing other heads of state. The two Nordic countries would provide the NATO alliance with a significant boost to its overall military capabilities across all domains — air, land, sea, and with intelligence.

And as of midnight Tuesday, vendors also cannot support, service and send non-U.S. supplies to the China-based factories without licenses if U.S. companies or people are involved. The company said the change would help avoid disruptions to the supply chain and that the authorization is for a year. Licenses for Chinese chip factories were likely to be denied. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.(2330.TW) and Intel Corp (INTC.O) also operate chip factories in China. The Chinese chip facilities are not expected to get any reprieve.

As published, the rules require licenses before U.S. exports can be shipped to facilities with advanced chip production in China, as part of a U.S. bid to slow Beijing's technological and military advances. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe U.S. had planned to grant licenses to supply non-Chinese chip factories on a case-by-case basis, while licenses to Chinese chipmakers will face a presumption of denial. As of midnight Tuesday, vendors also cannot support, service and send non-U.S. supplies to such China-based factories without licenses if U.S. companies authorize, direct or request them. A White House spokesperson also did not respond to a request for comment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting By Jane Lanhee Lee and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Kim Coghill and Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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