China needs to double down on its very own ASML project, as illusions should be "abandoned"

The US sanctions on China will probably deepen rather than get lifted in the foreseeable future, which is why China should pull itself up by the hair and build its own ASML.

ASML is the world's leading manufacturer of super-advanced machines used in semiconductor production. Washington has been trying for seven years now to curb China's ability to produce chipsets below the 5–7nm mark (the lower the number, the more advanced the chip, generally speaking). So far, it has succeeded – while Samsung and Apple phones, for example, enjoy 3nm and even 2nm chips (like the Exynos 2600 in the new Galaxy S26), Huawei is lagging behind on this front.

That's why China's top chip executives are calling for a nationwide effort to develop a domestic alternative to ASML, warning that the country must prepare for a long struggle amid US sanctions.

The nationwide effort

A recent article co-authored by the co-founder of SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation) and executives from Empyrean, Yangtze Memory Technologies, and Naura Technology, along with university professors, highlighted China's challenges in building a fully independent chip industry.

They said US restrictions have targeted three key areas: electronic design automation (EDA) software, silicon wafers, and advanced manufacturing equipment, especially extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography dominated by ASML.

Their article noted that ASML's EUV machines are highly complex, with over 100,000 components sourced from 5,000 suppliers, while ASML itself serves mainly as the integrator. China has made progress in EUV lasers, dual-stage platforms, and optical systems, but integrating these advances nationally remains a major challenge through 2030.

Too fragmented?

Analysts say China's chip industry is highly fragmented, with hundreds of small EDA developers, thousands of chip designers and dozens of wafer-equipment makers. Coordinating these players will require strong national guidance and pooled financial and human resources.

But some recent reports indicate progress: a prototype EUV machine was developed in Shenzhen last year, though it has yet to produce working chips.

It's natural that China's semiconductor leaders see the unified national effort as urgent. There'll always be challenges ahead, but the country's self-reliance is of critical importance. The authors also say that China should "abandon illusions and prepare for struggle".

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