COLD WAR II: The Trump administration will add SMIC, China’s largest chipmaker, to its defense blacklist. “SMIC, one of largest chip makers in the world, is among several companies that the Department of Defense plans to designate as being owned or controlled by the Chinese military, reports Reuters. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, set to go into effect on January 11, that would bar U.S. investors from buying securities from companies on the defense blacklist.”

Previously: SMIC’s N+1 process node not enough to save Huawei.

Communist China’s best chip technology is behind Western standards (including Taiwan), and Trump aims to keep it that way.