BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s cyberspace regulator said on Sunday that products made by US memory chipmaker Micron Technology had failed its network security tests and it would ban major infrastructure operators from buying products from the company.
Under China’s broad definition of critical information infrastructure, it can include sectors ranging from transportation to finance.
“The review revealed that Micron’s products pose serious network security risks, pose significant security risks to China’s critical information infrastructure supply chain and affect the country’s national security,” it said. Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
Micron said it had been notified of the findings of the CAC’s review of the company’s products sold in China, adding that “we look forward to moving forward in discussions with the Chinese authorities.”
The CAC did not provide details of the risks identified or the Micron products affected.
China announced a review of Micron’s products in late March. The company had then said that it was cooperating and that its business in China was normal.
The governments of America and China are in dispute regarding the technology of chips. Washington has imposed a series of controls on exports of chip-making technology to China and has taken steps to block Micron’s rival Yangtze Memory Technologies from buying some US components.
Micron derives about 10% of its revenue from China, but it is unclear whether the decision affects the company’s sales to non-Chinese customers in the country.
According to analysts, most of Micron’s products entering China are bought by non-Chinese companies for use in products manufactured there.
China implemented a series of regulations in September 2021 aimed at protecting critical information infrastructure, requiring their operators to adhere to stricter requirements in areas such as data security.
Beijing has broadly defined “critical” industries such as public communications and transportation, but has not specified what types of companies or business scope it would apply to.
