(Economic Observation) China has introduced heavy policies for the integrated circuit industry in response to new internal and external challenges

  China News Service, Beijing, August 6 (Reporter Liu Yuying) As the United States continues to suppress and the chip supply chain security is threatened, China issued a heavy policy to support the development of the integrated circuit industry on the evening of the 4th, sending a policy "big" to the industry. Gift package". This policy will have a profound impact on China's integrated circuit industry.

  A few days ago, the State Council issued several policies to promote the high-quality development of the integrated circuit industry and software industry in the new era. The document includes eight aspects: fiscal and taxation policies, investment and financing policies, research and development policies, import and export policies, and talent policies.

  Prior to the introduction of this policy, China issued Circular 18 in 2000 and Circular 4 in 2011 to support the development of integrated circuit and software industries. The release of the blockbuster document coincides with the expiration of Circular 4, which requires a new policy to continue.

  Wei Shaojun, chairman of the Design Branch of the China Semiconductor Industry Association and a professor at the Institute of Microelectronics of Tsinghua University, said that these three documents are in the same line, "allowing the majority of enterprises to have a deeper understanding of the long-term and continuity of the country’s policy environment for the development of the integrated circuit industry, and more rest assured".

  In addition, the introduction of this new policy is facing new changes in the external environment. The United States has introduced new restrictions. TSMC may not be able to continue to manufacture Huawei's foundry chips after September 15. However, China's chip foundry company SMIC has a 14-nanometer process, which is still a big gap from TSMC's 5 nanometers. This makes China face the challenge of supply chain security.

  The new policy focuses on solving problems where core technologies are restricted by others, such as support for advanced processes. The new policy proposes that the process technology below 28 nanometers will be exempt from corporate income tax for 10 years. This policy is aimed at companies in the integrated circuit manufacturing sector and is also a shortcoming of China's industrial chain.

  Ge Jie, Director of the Product and System Research Office of CCID Think Tank, said that compared with the previous 0.8-micron process "2 exemption 3 halving" and 0.25 micron "5 exemption 5 halving", 10 years of corporate income tax exemption is very large Policy intensity.

  The new policy also provides support for the investment and financing of the integrated circuit and software industry, including supporting integrated circuit companies to list and raise funds on the capital market, banks to increase support for key projects, and support for companies to issue bonds.

  Wei Shaojun said that the new policy pays attention to the ecological environment of the chip industry, such as proposing major special projects and key research plans in the national science and technology plan, promoting the establishment of first-level disciplines in integrated circuits, etc.; and adding parts that encourage international cooperation, reflecting integration The international background of the circuit industry and the importance of China as a part of the world's semiconductor industry.

  It is worth noting that in terms of core technology research and development, the new document proposes "continuously explore and build a new national system for key core technology research under the conditions of a socialist market economy." This formulation first came from the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee.

  Ge Jie believes that compared with the previous integrated circuit industry policy, this is a new formulation, which means a new adjustment of the relationship between the government and the market, which will help solve core technical problems. Integrated circuits are not a purely market-oriented industry. In certain fields and links, the government needs to provide certain support. In the future, new supporting measures will be implemented to carry out mechanism innovation.

  China is the world's largest consumer market for integrated circuits. At the same time, China imports a large number of integrated circuits every year, and is highly dependent on external sources. It also urgently needs to overcome shortcomings in materials, manufacturing, and equipment.

  Wei Shaojun believes that China's integrated circuit industry has long faced the problem of insufficient investment. To solve this problem, the most important thing is to form a "capital-technology two-wheeled balanced drive." The new policy still lacks specific measures for innovation investment. In addition, as integrated circuits are an innovation-driven industry, innovative measures need to be implemented. (Finish)