Taiwan's semiconductor Silicon Shield has upgraded to an offensive Silicon Sword. The Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed it will add over 600 entities from countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and Myanmar to its strategic high-tech product export control list. Major Chinese tech firms, including Huawei and SMIC, have been blacklisted, effectively presenting a birthday tribute to the leaders of the US and China, Trump and Xi Jinping.

In an exclusive interview with the People's Daily, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei acknowledged that the US has exaggerated Huawei's threat and admitted that China's chip development lags a generation behind but asserted that current technology suffices for practical needs. Founder of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang, interpreted Ren's remarks to suggest that current technology is adequate for China.

Moreover, Huawei's ambitions extend beyond this. Reports from South Korean media indicate that Huawei has direct or indirect control over at least 11 wafer fabs within China, potentially rising to 20 when including R&D facilities. Japanese media have also noted that Huawei continues to extend its reach from upstream materials and equipment to downstream manufacturing and sales, actively recruiting talent from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, and aims to establish the newly formed Zhuhai Base Technology Company as a top global semiconductor material supplier, rivaling renowned firms like Japan’s Shin-Etsu.