The U.S. Department of Commerce is currently reviewing Chinas use of open-source RISC-V chip technology, a step that reignites tensions between the U.S. and China in the high-tech sector. According to a Reuters report on the 24th, the Department of Commerce expressed concerns in a letter to Congress about the national security risks posed by this technology.

As an open - source instruction set architecture, RISC - V is different from the traditional X86 and ARM instruction sets, which are owned and controlled by single companies. Its openness has made RISC - V not only popular among Chinese enterprises but also supported by several US technology giants including Intel, Google, and Qualcomm. Although the RISC - V Foundation aims at open cooperation, the use of this technology has now become a new focus of the competition between China and the US in advanced chip technology.

Last November, 18 members of the US Congress pressured the Biden administration to take measures to prevent China from gaining a dominant position in the RISC - V technology field, saying it could sacrifice US national and economic security. The lawmakers emphasized that although the open - source cooperation of RISC - V may greatly promote the progress of the US semiconductor industry, this benefit can only be achieved when contributors are committed to the technological improvement itself rather than serving Chinas technological goals and geopolitical interests.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Commerce said that Secretary Gina Raimondo had received the letter from Congress and promised to respond through appropriate channels. The latest news shows that the Department of Commerces response has been clear, and it is conducting an in - depth review of potential risks related to RISC - V and assessing whether measures need to be taken to address these issues.

Although the US Department of Commerce emphasizes the need to act cautiously to avoid harming US companies involved in the research and development, this move may still have an impact on Sino - US technological and trade relations. Chinese companies such as Huawei, ZTE, and Alibaba occupy important positions in the RISC - V International Foundation, and this review may have a significant impact on the future technological development and international cooperation of these companies.

The open - nature of RISC - V technology and its application prospects in global semiconductor design have made it a stage for international cooperation and competition. The USs action is seen as a check on Chinas rise on the global technology stage. At the same time, this incident also reflects the complexity of the global struggle for technological hegemony and the USs firm attitude in maintaining its technological advantage.

At present, although the US Department of Commerce has not announced specific action plans, the industry generally expects that more restrictive measures regarding specific technology exchanges and exports may be proposed in the future. This uncertainty may bring new fluctuations to the global chip market, especially when the global semiconductor supply chain is already facing multiple challenges.