China is preparing to release official guidance encouraging the nationwide adoption of open-source RISC-V chips, according to two sources familiar with the matter. This move is part of Beijing’s broader strategy to reduce reliance on Western-owned technology.
The policy guidance, aimed at increasing the use of RISC-V chips, could be issued as early as this month, though the exact timeline remains subject to change, the sources said. It is being developed collaboratively by eight government agencies, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the China National Intellectual Property Administration. As discussions are ongoing, the sources requested anonymity. The four ministries have not responded to requests for comment.
RISC-V is an open-source technology used to design a variety of less-complex chips, ranging from those in smartphones to CPUs powering AI servers. It serves as a global competitor to proprietary chip architectures such as x86, dominated by U.S. firms Intel and AMD, and Arm, which is owned by SoftBank Group.
In recent years, Chinese state entities and research institutions have embraced RISC-V, viewing it as a geopolitically neutral alternative. Domestic chip designers are also drawn to its lower costs. However, the Chinese government has yet to formally incorporate RISC-V into its policies.
The increasing adoption of RISC-V in China has raised concerns in the United States, especially amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over technology. In 2023, Reuters reported that some U.S. lawmakers were urging the Biden administration to limit American companies’ involvement with RISC-V, fearing that China was leveraging its open-source framework to advance its semiconductor industry.
Among China’s leading RISC-V intellectual property providers are Alibaba’s XuanTie and startup Nuclei System Technology, both of which offer commercial RISC-V processors to chip designers.
At a recent RISC-V-focused event hosted by XuanTie, industry executives highlighted how AI adoption could further drive demand for RISC-V chips. Sun Haitao, a manager at China Mobile System Integration, noted that Chinese AI startup DeepSeek’s models operate efficiently on less-powerful chips, making RISC-V an attractive option for smaller companies.
“Even if a RISC-V solution priced at 10 million yuan might only reach about 30% of the level of NVIDIA or Huawei, buying three sets means the overall cost might still be lower,” Sun said. “I think this is a breakthrough point.”
