Chips, there is more than nanometres
Western countries like a step-by-step approach in technology. China changes lanes to overtake (弯道超车) and mass-produces AI chips on mature 28 and 110 nanometre processes.
By Jun Jiang
China’s way of thinking is completely different from the West.
Western countries like to follow a step-by-step approach in technology: first master 7nm, then go to 5nm, then 3nm. Always pushing for smaller and smaller chips.
But China doesn’t think that way.
Chinese strategists are very good at changing lanes to overtake.弯道超车
When they realize that the direct path is blocked, they don’t waste time. They simply find a new road or even create one.
This time, China is using probability-based computing and hybrid stochastic numbers.
They are not trying to fight the U.S. in the 3nm or 5nm battlefield.
Instead, they are using mature 28nm and 110nm processes to mass-produce AI chips.
It may not sound “high-end” by Western standards, but it is:
- Cheap to produce
- Quick to scale up
- Good enough for practical use (like robots, navigation, smart displays)
China’s logic is simple:
“We don’t need to win the game by having the best technical numbers.
If it works, if it sells, if we can roll it out fast, that’s already a win.”
This shows the flexibility, pragmatism, and fast adaptation of China’s strategy under pressure.
China’s real power is this: they are not afraid to break the rules and create their own game.
