Washington is teaming up with Dutch and Japanese officials to limit China’s chip advancement

American, Dutch and Japanese officials are reportedly getting close to finalising an agreement which will limit China’s access to the tech required to make computer chips.

ASML is a leading maker of semiconductor production equipment in The Netherlands.

The company says it’s possible a deal has already been reached but the details have not been made public.

The company is the world’s only producer of machines which use extreme ultraviolet lithography to make advanced semiconductor chips.

While Dutch officials banned ASML from exporting this equipment to China in 2019, it continues to ship lower-quality systems to the country.

In October, Joe Biden’s administration announced a range of export controls to prevent China from accessing advanced chips.

The U.S. says these chips can be used to make weapons, commit human rights abuses and improve the speed and accuracy of military logistics.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday that Dutch and Japanese officials were in Washington.

“We’re grateful that they were able to come to D.C. and to have these talks,” Kirby said. #trending #featured