社論
Chip wars
芯片戰
America cannot afford to ignore China’s semiconductor ambitions. It cannot easily tame them, either
美國既無法忽視中國的半導體雄心,也不能將其輕易馴服。
The trade disputes President Donald Trump relishes have an old-fashioned feel. Tariffs are the principal weapons. Old-economy markets, from cars to steel, are the main battlefields. Farmers and factories preoccupy the president. And his personal chemistry with other powerful men can make or break deals. Hence the focus on the meeting between Mr Trump and Xi Jinping at this week’s G20 summit, which takes place in Buenos Aires after The Economist has gone to press.
美國總統唐納德·特朗普熱衷的貿易爭端已經是老掉牙了。主要武器是關稅。主要戰場是從汽車到鋼鐵在內的舊經濟市場。特朗普最關心農民和工廠。特朗普和其他權勢之間的私人關系可決定交易的成敗。因此,本周在布宜諾斯艾利斯(阿根廷首都)舉辦的20國峰會期間,特朗普和習近平的會晤成為焦點。(G20峰會將在本期《經濟學人》付印后舉行)。
Yet the trade conflict that matters most between America and China is a 21st-century fight over technology. It covers everything from artificial intelligence (AI) to network equipment. The fundamental battleground is in semiconductors. The chip industry is where America’s industrial leadership and China’s superpower ambitions clash most directly. And whatever Messrs Trump and Xi say at the G20, this conflict will outlast them both.
然而,中美之間最嚴重的貿易沖突是21世紀的技術之爭。這包括從人工智能(AI)到網絡設備在內的方方面面。基本戰場是半導體。美國的行業領先和中國超級大國的雄心最直接的沖突就在芯片業。在20國峰會上,無論特朗普和習近平談了什么,沖突都會比這二人持續得更久。
That is because computer chips are the foundations of the digital economy and national security. Cars have become computers on wheels. Banks are computers that move money. Armies fight with silicon as well as steel. Firms from America and its allies, such as South Korea, dominate the most advanced areas of the industry. China, by contrast, remains reliant on the outside world for supplies of high-end chips. It spends more on semiconductor imports than it does on oil. The list of the top 15 semiconductor firms by sales does not contain a single Chinese name.
這是因為電腦芯片是數字經濟和國家安全的根本。汽車變成了有輪子的電腦。銀行是運轉錢的電腦。軍隊并肩作戰的不僅是鋼鐵,還有芯片。來自美國及其盟友的公司,如韓國,主導著芯片業最先進的領域。相比之下,中國的高端芯片還依賴其他國家。在芯片進口上的投入比石油進口還多。按銷售額排名前15家的半導體公司,中國公司榜上無名。
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