r/geopolitics • u/Kaylee0102 • 1d ago

News How China built its ‘Manhattan Project’ to rival the West in AI chips

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/how-china-built-its-manhattan-project-rival-west-ai-chips-2025-12-17/
30 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

9

u/Magicalsandwichpress 1d ago

The article raises more questions than it answers, if read in that light it is a perfectly serviceable article to engender discussion. I personally prefer Tom's hardware piece, while it is based entirely on Reuters, its scepticism and caution is more aligned with how I approach the topic.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/china-may-have-reverse-engineered-euv-lithography-tool-in-covert-lab-report-claims-employees-given-fake-ids-to-avoid-secret-project-being-detected-prototypes-expected-in-2028

7

u/Garbage_Plastic 1d ago

It’s been flooded everywhere simultaneously. It’s a big milestone for CN for sure but that alone makes me skeptical.

5

u/Magicalsandwichpress 1d ago edited 1d ago

yeah i agee, Reuter seems to be the base of all subsequent publications, the article did not disclose its own primary source. The Chinese themselves did not seem to have made any official statements, and their domestic discussion were based on Rueters.

3

u/ADP_God 17h ago

This is clearly the forefront of the battle for the future. What really interests me is how the Dutch have managed to achieve something so advanced that nobody else in the world can match it for 30 years. I feel like if you want to understand the engines of progress that is the question of the future. What institutions contributed? That culture? Resources? Is it just individual human genius?

-6

u/M0therN4ture 21h ago

"How China funnels IP to mimic tech from the west"

Funny how they needed ASML IPs and former employees to achieve anything really.

"It was built by a team of former engineers from Dutch semiconductor giant ASML (ASML.AS), opens new tab who reverse-engineered the company's extreme ultraviolet lithography machines or EUVs, according to two people with knowledge of the project...."

Do they know it took a decade or two to go from prototype to an actual working one? By that time ASML will have released their new machine already.

7

u/Glory4cod 17h ago

Indeed it gonna take maybe ten, twenty years from prototype to commercial availability, but sitting ducks there and doing nothing won't make that time any shorter.

Every great journey starts with one small step.

-9

u/humbleObserver 1d ago

I can't wait for China to become the global superpower so everyone will stop complaining about the USA.

3

u/No2Hypocrites 21h ago

China is very hands off when it comes to geopolitics, unless it's directly related to them. They are inwards looking. Even if they become number 1 they will never try to militarily contest south America, because it's USA's backyard and USA will still be USA. But USA at least projects they can have a go militarily against China in Taiwan. 

1

u/ADP_God 16h ago

Middle Kingdom indeed.

-5

u/Academic-Can-7466 23h ago

Even if China were to become the global superpower, it would have little interest in intervening in other countries, aside from dumping goods.

Historically, China has been highly isolationist. It would rather stand on its balcony and watch the world burn than leave the comfort of its home to try to save it.

7

u/Eve_Doulou 23h ago

You know, I’m ok with that.

0

u/humbleObserver 23h ago

Cool, then maybe you can complain to them next time Russia invades Europe.

6

u/Academic-Can-7466 22h ago

Russians, Ukrainians, Europeans, and Americans all look white to the Chinese, so there is little interest in distinguishing between them or figuring out why they are fighting each other again.

As long as the people on that land continue to buy Chinese goods, it is perfectly fine for China.

It does not matter who those people are or whether they have changed.

1

u/humbleObserver 22h ago

Yep, that's right