Reality check on China’s push for self-reliance in semi-conductor industry

An article of the South China Morning Post of 4 June gives a thorough reality check of Beijing's call for self-reliance in semi-conductor technologies. After decades of neglect of basic research in favor of applied research, for some 95% of semi-conductor parts, components and technologies, China has had to rely on  markets largely dominated by the US, particularly Operating Systems (OS). Such dominance has not been achieved overnight but through decades of basic research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The article estimates that even if China mobilizes the resources of the entire nation, it would probably be over a decade before China can attain total self reliance, even without counting the impact of a worsening trade war spreading into technology tariffs, sanctions and restrictions of Chinese access applying to a whole swathe of foreign businesses across the globe.