China has taken a key step in its strategy to reduce dependence on Western technology with the official push for RISC-V open-source architecture. According to recent reports, the Chinese government is preparing a policy that will incentivize the use of RISC-V chips in strategic sectors, including consumer devices and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
This move reinforces Beijing’s commitment to greater technological self-sufficiency in the context of increasing restrictions imposed by the United States on the export of advanced chips.
A coordinated state push for RISC-V adoption
The Chinese government plans to issue specific guidelines in March to promote the development and implementation of chips based on RISC-V. These measures are being developed by eight government agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Intellectual Property Administration of China.
With this institutional backing, China aims to accelerate the development of its own semiconductor industry without relying on foreign technologies, thereby avoiding sanctions and trade restrictions imposed in recent years.
The potential of RISC-V as an alternative to x86 and ARM
The RISC-V architecture has positioned itself as a viable alternative to the dominant x86 (Intel and AMD) and ARM (used in most mobile devices). Being open-source, it allows manufacturers to design chips without paying licensing fees, offering greater flexibility and cost reduction.
Industry experts, such as Jim Keller (a key designer in AMD’s Zen architecture and Intel’s hybrid processors), have highlighted the potential of RISC-V as the foundation for the next generation of high-performance processors.
The impact on China’s semiconductor industry
The announcement has had an immediate effect on financial markets. Several Chinese companies related to chip design have seen their stock values increase by up to 15.4%. This growth reflects confidence that RISC-V will become the cornerstone of China’s technological development.
Companies like DeepSeek, specialized in artificial intelligence, are expected to be pioneers in RISC-V adoption. Although chips based on this architecture have not yet reached the performance level of NVIDIA or Huawei, their lower costs make them an attractive alternative for expanding access to advanced AI and cloud computing solutions.
Conclusion: a strategic step toward technological independence
China’s support for RISC-V marks a turning point in the tech war with the U.S.. With this strategy, the Asian giant aims to consolidate a competitive and independent semiconductor industry, reducing its reliance on manufacturers like Intel, AMD, or ARM.
If the investment in RISC-V materializes with significant advancements in performance and adoption, China could become a key player in the global chip market, challenging the dominance of traditional architectures in the coming years.
Reference: Reuters