China pauses massive chip investment to compete with United States

China is pausing massive investments aimed at building a chip industry to compete with the United States (US), as a nationwide Covid resurgence strains the world’s number 2 economy and Beijing’s finances.

Top officials are discussing ways to move away from costly subsidies that have so far borne little fruit and encouraged both graft and American sanctions, people familiar with the matter said. While some continue to push for incentives of as much as 1 trillion yuan ($145 billion), other policymakers have lost their taste for an investment-led approach that’s not yielded the results anticipated, the people said. 

Instead, they’re seeking alternative