Secret Conflict Between US and ASML: Has China Started Producing Advanced Chips?

A serious conflict has arisen between the US government and ASML, one of the world's most valuable technology companies based in the Netherlands. The Washington administration is concerned that one of the EUV (extreme ultraviolet lithography) machines, capable of printing the world's most complex microchips, may have fallen into Chinese hands. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing its sources. Techcrunch.com reports on this.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick raised this issue during a meeting with ASML leadership. If this information is confirmed, it would be the largest breach of the export control system established by the US over the years. The point is that ASML is the only company in the world that produces EUV equipment, without which it is impossible to prepare the most modern processors for giants like NVIDIA, Apple, or Intel.

Unproven Allegations and ASML's Position

US officials claim to have evidence that ASML supplied components and transport equipment related to EUV technology to China. However, so far, this evidence has been presented neither to the public nor to the Dutch company itself. ASML representatives strictly emphasize that such machines do not exist in China and have never been delivered.

According to CEO Christophe Fouquet, ASML strictly controls every device it develops. They are either actively used by customers or disassembled and returned to the company. Fouquet noted that it is impossible to simply copy or acquire EUV technology through reverse-engineering, as 20 years and billions of dollars were spent just to create the light source.

Geopolitical and Economic Consequences

ASML is currently Europe's most valuable public company, with a market value exceeding 700 billion dollars. The company has only been permitted to sell older generation DUV (deep ultraviolet) equipment to China. These sales account for nearly 20 percent of the company's revenue. Experts believe it would be illogical for ASML to risk its international reputation and primary revenue sources for a single illegal sale.

Nevertheless, the US government is increasing pressure to maintain its technological superiority. Washington has even begun funding startups like xLight, which could limit ASML's monopoly. Such actions prove once again that competition in the global chip industry has become not only an economic issue but a matter of national security.

• EUV devices are considered the most complex technical systems in the world;
• ASML holds an absolute monopoly in this field;
• China's possession of this technology threatens US leadership in the field of AI.

For now, the situation remains uncertain. If the US cannot prove its allegations, it could damage trust between the two allied nations. But if China has indeed acquired this technology, a complete shift in the balance of power in the global technology market is inevitable.