Military-Chinese chips – Newspaper Kommersant No. 231 (7432) dated 12/13/2022

As it became known to Kommersant, the Chinese government banned the supply of Loongson processors based on its own LoongArch architecture to the Russian Federation. The decision is due to the fact that the technology is recognized as strategically important and is used in the military-industrial complex of China. A number of Russian electronics manufacturers, according to Kommersant, have already tested Chinese processors and believe that they could replace Intel if parallel import channels are blocked. While laptops based on Loongson are available for order in the Russian Federation on AliExpress, and market participants hope to find a way to deliver the technology.

A Kommersant source close to the Ministry of Digital Development said that the Chinese government has banned the supply of Loongson processors based on its own LoongArch architecture to the Russian Federation and other countries. According to him, some Russian electronics manufacturers have already tested these chips, but now it is impossible to purchase a batch. “Although Russian companies were not very dependent on Chinese processors, with a theoretical blocking of parallel imports, they hoped to switch to Loongson solutions,” the source of Kommersant explains.

A Kommersant source in the electronics market confirmed that the Chinese government has banned the export of Loongson processors to all countries, including the Russian Federation, since this is an original decision of Chinese electronics: “The best chipsets in China are used in the military-industrial complex, this is the main reason why they are not available for foreign markets”.

After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the leading manufacturers of processors, on which domestic computers, storage systems, servers, etc., Intel and AMD worked, suspended deliveries to the Russian Federation. After that, parallel imports were legalized in Russia: criminal and administrative liability for importing products without the permission of the copyright holder was abolished. The list of goods allowed for import through parallel import channels includes, in particular, Intel products (see Kommersant dated June 28).

In case of blocking parallel imports and depletion of stocks of Intel and AMD processors, Russian companies could use Loongson products, if not for the decision of the PRC authorities, says Maxim Koposov, director of Promobit: “Now it will not cause much damage, since mass projects using Loongson in Russia, most likely, have not yet begun. At the same time, while laptops and motherboards on Loongson can be bought on AliExpress, therefore, the ban may be formal, the expert admits. The Kommersant correspondent made sure that such goods are available for order in the Russian Federation.

Large Chinese companies, dependent on the world market, in any case try not to advertise supplies to the Russian Federation, says Vitaly Mankevich, chairman of the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RASPP): “According to our information, there are no official statements on the issue of banning the supply of Loongson processors yet, but even in a negative scenario, RAUIE has many ways to purchase such goods, including through third, smaller companies.”

Equipment based on the LoongArch architecture is still little represented in Russia, if we talk about real deliveries, and not research projects, a source in a Russian electronics manufacturer clarifies. To arrange the production of equipment for the Russian market, it is much easier and safer to use Intel processors, of which there are billions of pieces in the world, the interlocutor of Kommersant believes: “In addition, in terms of their technological characteristics, Chinese components, although they are ahead of Russian ones, still fall short of American ones” . But the interlocutor of Kommersant in another electronics manufacturer said that their company tested the server on the Loongson processor and came to the conclusion that it was “a reliable, productive and promising processor that can compete with Intel.”

Timofey Kornev