Two Chinese nationals have been charged for an alleged scheme to illegally
export a semiconductor dicing machine to a Chinese tech company. One of the two,
Han Li, 44, was arrested in Chicago on Wednesday, while Lin Chen, 64, is
believed to be in China. The charges and arrest are the latest developments in a
protracted trade war between China and the U.S. over advanced computer
processing. Between May 2015 and August 2018, Li and Chen allegedly made plans
to obtain a DTX 150 Scribe and Break machine from Dynatex, a high-precision
silicon wafer dicing tool. The two were to export the tool to Changdu GaStone
Technology Company in China, a company on the United States Department of
Commerce’s banned entity list and thus ineligible to receive certain tech and
services from the U.S. The pair is also charged with violating the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law enabling the president to regulate
international commerce in the case of a national emergency. IEEPA has been used
to lock down commerce with China since the Trump era. Other charges include
breaking Export Administration Regulations and illegal smuggling, which carry a
combined maximum sentencing of 55 years in prison and $2.5 million in fines.
However, this level of punishment is extreme and unlikely.
So much for your hilariously shit Chinese chip propaganda. 🤣