World working together ‘as one ecosystem’ on RISC-V chip research: executive - South China Morning Post

Despite intensifying US-China technological rivalry, global cooperation on the RISC-V chip architecture remains robust, as highlighted by Qi Xiaoning, vice-president of Alibaba. RISC-V, an open-standa... Read original →

Beneath RISC-V’s global collaboration lies a strategic buffer against US-China tech decoupling. Technically, its open ISA accelerates AI and edge SoC customization, forcing EDA and IP ecosystems to adapt—but without EUV access, Chinese players are confined to mature nodes, creating a ‘high-performance architecture + mid-tier process’ compromise. Compliance-wise, while RISC-V sidesteps Arm/x86 licensing risks, it remains vulnerable to US export controls on advanced manufacturing tools. Arm is countering with flexible Neoverse licensing, while Intel leverages its RISC-V International investment to shape standards. Over the next 18 months, Hong Kong, China could emerge as a hub for RISC-V IP trading and standardization coordination—yet any US move to restrict RISC-V-related tools would instantly fracture this fragile ecosystem.