China's Semiconductor Breakthrough: The New Manhattan Project

In Shenzhen, Chinese scientists have successfully developed a prototype machine for producing advanced semiconductor chips, a crucial step in achieving technological independence. The project, shrouded in secrecy, involves reverse-engineering existing technologies and aims for China to dominate the semiconductor field by 2030.

In a high-security Shenzhen laboratory, Chinese scientists have achieved what many believed was a far-off milestone: a prototype machine capable of producing the cutting-edge semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence and military devices. This initiative aims to challenge Western technological dominance in the semiconductor industry.

The prototype, completed in early 2025, marks significant progress in China's quest for semiconductor independence. A team of former ASML engineers reportedly played a crucial role in reverse-engineering the technology, a critical step that brings China closer to achieving chip production self-sufficiency, despite substantial technical challenges ahead.

The project, often likened to the Manhattan Project due to its scale and secrecy, is coordinated by Huawei and involves thousands of engineers. The breakthrough underscores China's ambition to remove its reliance on Western supply chains and highlights the escalating technological Cold War between China and the West.

(With inputs from agencies.)