Blinken told Reuters the U.S. chip ban was not intended to hinder China’s growth.

Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) – U.S. export controls on exports of advanced computing chips to China are not intended to hinder China’s economic or technological development, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with National Public Radio on Friday. .

Starting in 2022, U.S. officials will impose sweeping controls on exports of computing chips to China, blocking sales of some, including Nvidia (NASDAQ:), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:) and Intel (NASDAQ:). These controls follow a previous ban on shipping chips to Huawei Technologies.

But U.S. officials have granted licenses to at least two U.S. companies, Intel and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:), to continue shipping chips to Huawei, which is using Intel chips to power its new laptop models. Earlier this week, two Republican lawmakers criticized Intel’s exemption, but in an interview with NPR, Blinken highlighted the devices as a sign that the United States does not threaten China.

“I saw that Huawei has come out with a new laptop boasting AI capabilities that uses Intel chips,” Blinken told NPR host Steve Inskeep during a visit to Beijing. “I think this shows that what we’re focused on are only the most sensitive technologies that could pose a threat to our security. We’re not focused on blocking trade or blocking or deterring China.”

Intel and Qualcomm’s sales licenses to Huawei were granted under President Donald Trump’s administration and have remained in place under President Joe Biden. The companies’ direct competitors, AMD and MediaTek, did not receive similar exemptions, and neither the Trump nor Biden administrations explained why.

(This story has been rewritten to correct Antony Blinken’s name in paragraph 4.)