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Tech war: Micron head meets with Beijing’s commerce ministry after China sales ban, local report says

  • The reported visit follows a recent pledge by Micron to continue to invest in China despite Beijing’s ban on its products
  • The report follows Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger’s recent trip to China, as more US chip makers signal their commitment to China market

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Micron chief has met with Chinese officials according to a local media report. Photo: AFP
Dylan Butts

The head of American semiconductor giant Micron Technology has visited China and met with the Ministry of Commerce, according to a local media report, two months after the Chinese cyberspace regulator banned sales of its products to certain mainland clients.

State-controlled Chinese newspaper National Business Daily reported that Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra met the Beijing official on Wednesday, without giving further information about the discussion. Micron did not respond to a request for comment about the report.

The report did not mention whether Mehrotra had met with other Chinese government agencies, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, which imposed the Micron sales ban in May.

If confirmed, the visit would be another indication that American chip companies are reluctant to give up on the Chinese market, despite rising US-China geopolitical tensions.

Intel’s CEO Patrick Gelsinger concluded a low-key trip to China last week as his company pushes its latest processor for artificial intelligence (AI) deep-learning applications, the Gaudi2, a device that is not currently covered by US export restrictions.

According to memory chip maker Micron, a quarter of its revenue comes from Hong Kong and companies headquartered in mainland China. After Beijing’s sudden ban, Micron said it would maintain communications with the Chinese authorities. The following month, it announced plans to invest 4.3 billion yuan (US$600 million) to upgrade its chip packaging plant in Xian, the capital of central Shaanxi province.
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