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Teknolojik Soğuk Savaş: Kapıdaki Çin

Year 2025, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 223 - 235, 29.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.70101/ussmad.1660326

Abstract

1970’lerden bu yana ulus devletler arasındaki güç dengeleri yarı iletkenler üretimi nedeniyle değişim göstermiştir. Mikroçip üretimi, daha yüksek büyüme, ticaret ve rekabet gücü oranları sağlayarak Çin'e kaymıştır. Bu nedenle ABD, Çin ile ticaret ve Çin’e yatırım konularında zorunlu politikalar uygulamaya başlamıştır. Ancak yarı iletken endüstrisinde Çin üretiminin yükselişi hala çok büyüktür. Güncel tartışmalar, mevcut rekabetin İkinci Soğuk Savaş olarak adlandırılabileceğini işaret etmektedir. Ancak Çin'in sosyoekonomik yapısı SSCB'ye benzemediğinden bu tanım tam olarak doğru değildir. Dolayısıyla bu çalışma, kritik teknolojiler üzerinde üstünlük sağlamaya çalışan süper güçler arasındaki jeopolitik rekabet olarak tanımlanan Teknolojik Soğuk Savaş ifadesini benimsemektedir. Üstelik tüm bu tartışmalar, küresel güç dengelerindeki eğilimleri anlamak için mevcut durumun acilen analiz edilmesi gerektiğini göstermektedir. Dolayısıyla bu çalışmanın temel amacı iki yönlüdür. Birincisi, mikroçip üretimi ve ticareti açısından her iki ülkenin mevcut durumunun analiz edilmesidir. İkincisi ise yeni küresel çağın güç dengelerinin öngörülebilmesidir. Bu konuya ilişkin ekonomi politikası analizlerinde eksiklik olması nedeniyle ilgili literatüre katkı yapılması hedeflenmektedir.

References

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  • Alfian, M. F., Hudaya, M., Anggraheni, P., & Zuliyan, M. A. (2025). Technology as an instrument in great power politics: an overview of the US-China tech war. Jurnal Dinamika Global, 10(1), 73 – 99.
  • Barkin, N. (2020). Export controls and the US-China tech war. Mercator Institute for China Studies, https://www.merics.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/merics_ChinaMonitor_US-CH-EU-Export%20Controls_en_final.pdf. Accessed: August 20, 2024.
  • Bonaglia, D., & Wunsch‑Vincent, S. (2024, June 28). Cross‑border payments for the use of intellectual property surpass 1 trillion US dollars in 2022. WIPO. https://www.wipo.int/en/web/global-innovation-index/w/blogs/2024/cross-border-payments-ip. Accessed: August 20, 2024.
  • Bown, C. (2021). The US-China trade war and phase one agreement. Journal of Policy Modeling, 43, 805 – 843.
  • Bown, C. (2020). How the United States marched the semiconductor industry into its trade war with China. East Asian Economic Review, 24(4), 349-388.
  • Burton, D. (1993). High-tech competitiveness. Foreign Policy, 92, 117 – 132.
  • Edwards, P. (1997). Why build computers? The military role in computer research. In The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America, Cambridge: MIT, 54-74.
  • Dahl, R. A. (1957). The concept of power. Behavioral Science, 2(3), 201–215. Dev. (2025, February 19). Trump said he would raise tariffs on semiconductor chips by almost 25%. This also applies to cars. https://dev.ua/en/news/tramp-myto-napivprovidnykovi-chypy. Accessed: July 08, 2025.
  • Erdil, E., Yetkiner, I. H. & Türkcan, B. (2010). Does information and communication technologies sustain economic growth? The underdeveloped and developing countries case. In Sustainable Economic Development and the Influence of Information Technologies – Dynamics of Knowledge Society Transformation, Ed. Muhammed Karatas and Mustafa Zihni Tunca. IGI Global. New York, USA, 147 – 160.
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  • Haiyong, S. (2019). U.S. – China tech war –impacts and prospects. China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 5(2), 197–212.
  • Holsti, K. J. (1964). The Concept of Power in the Study of International Relations. Wiley on Behalf of The International Studies Association, 7(4), 179–194.
  • Jensen, D. (2022). Processor problems: an economic analysis of the ongoing chip shortage and international policy response. Summer Research, No. 457. https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/summer_research/457. Accessed: September 01, 2024.
  • Kempf, T., Bobek, V. & Horvat, T. (2021). The impacts of the American Chinese trade war and COVID-19 pandemic on Taiwan sales in semiconductor industry. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 13(4), 62 – 72.
  • Kshetri, N. (2023). The economics of chip war: China’s struggle to develop the semiconductor industry. Computer, 56(6), 101-106.
  • Martin, D. & Rosso, D. (2023). Chipping away – assessing and addressing the labor market gap facing the U.S. semiconductor industry. Semicondustor Industry Association (SIA) and Oxford Economics, https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports. Accessed September 05, 2024.
  • Mohammad, W., Elomri, A. & Kerbache, L. (2022). The global semiconductor chip shortage: causes, implications and potential remedies. IFAC PapersOnline, 55(10), 476 – 483.
  • Nikkei Asia. (2024, February 27). U.S. aims to make 20% of world’s leading-edge chips by 2030: Raimondo. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/U.S.-aims-to-make-20-of-world-s-leading-edge-chips-by-2030-Raimondo. Accessed: September 15, 2024.
  • Reuters. (2025, March 29). EU to invest $1.4 billion in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital skills. https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/eu-invest-14-billion-artificial-intelligence-cybersecurity-digital-skills-2025-03-28/. Accessed: July 7, 2025.
  • Reuters. (2025, July 8). China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-warns-trump-tariffs-threatens-retaliation-supply-chain-deals-2025-07-08/. Accessed: July 08, 2025.
  • Schindler, S., Alami, I., Dicarlo, J., Jepson, N., Rolf, S., Bayırbağ, M. K., Cyuzuzo, L., Deboom, M., Farahani, A. F., Liu I. T., McNicol, H., Miao, J. T., Nock, P., Teri, G., Seoane, M. F. V., Ward, K., Zajontz, T. & Zhao, Y. (2023). The second cold war: US-China competition for centrality in infrastructure, digital, production, and finance networks. Geopolitics, 29(4), 1083 – 1120.
  • Nikkei Asia. (2024, January 9). U.S. nervous about ‘flood’ of older-generation chips from China. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/U.S.-nervous-about-flood-of-older-generation-chips-from-China. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2024, August 28). The CHIPS act has already sparked $450 billion in private investments for U.S. semiconductor production. https://www.semiconductors.org/the-chips-act-has-already-sparked-200-billion-in-private-investments-for-u-s-semiconductor-production/. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2022, 31 October). American semiconductor research: leadership through innovation. https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2021, July). SIA whitepaper: taking stock of China’s semiconductor industry. https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Taking-Stock-of-China’s-Semiconductor-Industry_final.pdf. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2019, April). Winning the future – a blueprint for sustained U.S. leadership in semiconductor technology. https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports&fwp_paged=2. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • The Guardian. (2025, February 11). Trump announces 25% tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/10/trump-steel-aluminum-tariffs. Accessed: July 08, 2025.
  • Tung, R. L., Zander, I. & Fang, T. (2023). The tech cold war, the multipolarization of the world economy, IB Research. International Business Review, 32(6), 102195.
  • UNIDO. (2002). Industrial development report 2002/2003: competing through innovation and learning. http://www.unido.org. Accessed: August 10, 2024.
  • US Federal Register. (2018). Review of controls for certain emerging technologies. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/19/2018-25221/review-of-controls-for-certain-emerging-technologies. Accessed: August 28, 2024.
  • U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC). (2025). US-China competition in emerging technologies. https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/Chapter_3--U.S.-China_Competition_in_Emerging_Technologies.pdf. Accessed: July 7, 2025. Varas, A., Varadarajan, R., Goodrich, J. & Yinug, F. (2020). Government incentives and US competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing. Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports&fwp_paged=2. Accessed: October 02, 2024.
  • Vernon, R. (1966). International investment and international trade in the product cycle. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 80(2), 190–207.
  • Wall Street Journal. (2021, March 13). The semiconductor shortage. https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/semiconductorshortage/docview/2500822237/se-2?accountid=10699. Accessed: October 04, 2024.
  • World Development Indicators Online Database. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators. Accessed: July 26, 2024.
  • WSTS (World Semiconductor Trade Statistics). (2024, June 4). WSTS semiconductor market forecast spring 2024. https://www.wsts.org/76/Recent-News-Release. Accessed: July 29, 2024.
  • Xiao, Y. (2022). The impact of the US-China trade war on China’s semiconductor industry. Proceedings of the 2022 2nd International Conference on Financial Management and Economic Transition (FMET 2022).
  • Zhang, L. E., Zhao, S., Kern, P., Edwards, T. & Zhang, Z.-X. (2023). The pursuit of indigenous innovation amid the tech cold war: the case of a Chinese high-tech firm, International Business Review, 32 (102079), 1-12.

Tech Cold War: China at the Gate

Year 2025, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 223 - 235, 29.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.70101/ussmad.1660326

Abstract

Power balances across nation-states have changed because of the semiconductor production since 1970s. Manufacture of microchips have shifted through China, by providing higher growth, trade and competitiveness rates. Hence, the United States has begun to apply compulsory policies on trading with and investing in China. However, the rise of Chinese production in the semiconductor industry is still tremendous. Emerging discussions suggest that the current rivalry can be called as the Second Cold War. However, this definition is not completely true, since China’s socio-economic structure is not similar to USSR. Hence, this study adopts the Tech Cold War phrase, which is defined as a geopolitical rivalry between superpowers trying to achieve supremacy over critical technologies. Moreover, all these discussions show that there is an urgent need to analyse the current situation to understand the inclinations in global power balances. Therefore, the main aims of this study are twofold. The first is analyzing the current situation of both countries from the view of microchip production and trade. And, the second is foresighting power balances of new global era. Since there is a shortage about the economic-policy analyses about this issue, it’s expected to make a contribution to the related literature.

References

  • Aboagye, A., Ondrej, B., Abhijit, M., & Bill, W. (2022, February 9). When the chips are down: how the semiconductor industry is dealing with a worldwide shortage. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/semiconductor-chip-shortage-supply-chain/. Accessed: August 20, 2024.
  • Alfian, M. F., Hudaya, M., Anggraheni, P., & Zuliyan, M. A. (2025). Technology as an instrument in great power politics: an overview of the US-China tech war. Jurnal Dinamika Global, 10(1), 73 – 99.
  • Barkin, N. (2020). Export controls and the US-China tech war. Mercator Institute for China Studies, https://www.merics.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/merics_ChinaMonitor_US-CH-EU-Export%20Controls_en_final.pdf. Accessed: August 20, 2024.
  • Bonaglia, D., & Wunsch‑Vincent, S. (2024, June 28). Cross‑border payments for the use of intellectual property surpass 1 trillion US dollars in 2022. WIPO. https://www.wipo.int/en/web/global-innovation-index/w/blogs/2024/cross-border-payments-ip. Accessed: August 20, 2024.
  • Bown, C. (2021). The US-China trade war and phase one agreement. Journal of Policy Modeling, 43, 805 – 843.
  • Bown, C. (2020). How the United States marched the semiconductor industry into its trade war with China. East Asian Economic Review, 24(4), 349-388.
  • Burton, D. (1993). High-tech competitiveness. Foreign Policy, 92, 117 – 132.
  • Edwards, P. (1997). Why build computers? The military role in computer research. In The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America, Cambridge: MIT, 54-74.
  • Dahl, R. A. (1957). The concept of power. Behavioral Science, 2(3), 201–215. Dev. (2025, February 19). Trump said he would raise tariffs on semiconductor chips by almost 25%. This also applies to cars. https://dev.ua/en/news/tramp-myto-napivprovidnykovi-chypy. Accessed: July 08, 2025.
  • Erdil, E., Yetkiner, I. H. & Türkcan, B. (2010). Does information and communication technologies sustain economic growth? The underdeveloped and developing countries case. In Sustainable Economic Development and the Influence of Information Technologies – Dynamics of Knowledge Society Transformation, Ed. Muhammed Karatas and Mustafa Zihni Tunca. IGI Global. New York, USA, 147 – 160.
  • European Commission. (2025). State of the Digital Decade 2025: Keep building the EU’s sovereignty and digital future. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/state-digital-decade-2025-report. Accessed: July 07, 2025.
  • Gladstone, R. (2020, July 22). How the cold war between China and the US is intensifying: in defense, trade, technology, media, and diplomacy, among other areas, the rancor between the Trump administration and China’s ruling communist party is worsening. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/world/asia/us-china-cold-war.html. Accessed: September 01, 2024.
  • Haiyong, S. (2019). U.S. – China tech war –impacts and prospects. China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies, 5(2), 197–212.
  • Holsti, K. J. (1964). The Concept of Power in the Study of International Relations. Wiley on Behalf of The International Studies Association, 7(4), 179–194.
  • Jensen, D. (2022). Processor problems: an economic analysis of the ongoing chip shortage and international policy response. Summer Research, No. 457. https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/summer_research/457. Accessed: September 01, 2024.
  • Kempf, T., Bobek, V. & Horvat, T. (2021). The impacts of the American Chinese trade war and COVID-19 pandemic on Taiwan sales in semiconductor industry. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 13(4), 62 – 72.
  • Kshetri, N. (2023). The economics of chip war: China’s struggle to develop the semiconductor industry. Computer, 56(6), 101-106.
  • Martin, D. & Rosso, D. (2023). Chipping away – assessing and addressing the labor market gap facing the U.S. semiconductor industry. Semicondustor Industry Association (SIA) and Oxford Economics, https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports. Accessed September 05, 2024.
  • Mohammad, W., Elomri, A. & Kerbache, L. (2022). The global semiconductor chip shortage: causes, implications and potential remedies. IFAC PapersOnline, 55(10), 476 – 483.
  • Nikkei Asia. (2024, February 27). U.S. aims to make 20% of world’s leading-edge chips by 2030: Raimondo. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/U.S.-aims-to-make-20-of-world-s-leading-edge-chips-by-2030-Raimondo. Accessed: September 15, 2024.
  • Reuters. (2025, March 29). EU to invest $1.4 billion in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital skills. https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/eu-invest-14-billion-artificial-intelligence-cybersecurity-digital-skills-2025-03-28/. Accessed: July 7, 2025.
  • Reuters. (2025, July 8). China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-warns-trump-tariffs-threatens-retaliation-supply-chain-deals-2025-07-08/. Accessed: July 08, 2025.
  • Schindler, S., Alami, I., Dicarlo, J., Jepson, N., Rolf, S., Bayırbağ, M. K., Cyuzuzo, L., Deboom, M., Farahani, A. F., Liu I. T., McNicol, H., Miao, J. T., Nock, P., Teri, G., Seoane, M. F. V., Ward, K., Zajontz, T. & Zhao, Y. (2023). The second cold war: US-China competition for centrality in infrastructure, digital, production, and finance networks. Geopolitics, 29(4), 1083 – 1120.
  • Nikkei Asia. (2024, January 9). U.S. nervous about ‘flood’ of older-generation chips from China. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/U.S.-nervous-about-flood-of-older-generation-chips-from-China. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2024, August 28). The CHIPS act has already sparked $450 billion in private investments for U.S. semiconductor production. https://www.semiconductors.org/the-chips-act-has-already-sparked-200-billion-in-private-investments-for-u-s-semiconductor-production/. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2022, 31 October). American semiconductor research: leadership through innovation. https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2021, July). SIA whitepaper: taking stock of China’s semiconductor industry. https://www.semiconductors.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Taking-Stock-of-China’s-Semiconductor-Industry_final.pdf. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • SIA (Semiconductor Industry Association). (2019, April). Winning the future – a blueprint for sustained U.S. leadership in semiconductor technology. https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports&fwp_paged=2. Accessed: September 16, 2024.
  • The Guardian. (2025, February 11). Trump announces 25% tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/10/trump-steel-aluminum-tariffs. Accessed: July 08, 2025.
  • Tung, R. L., Zander, I. & Fang, T. (2023). The tech cold war, the multipolarization of the world economy, IB Research. International Business Review, 32(6), 102195.
  • UNIDO. (2002). Industrial development report 2002/2003: competing through innovation and learning. http://www.unido.org. Accessed: August 10, 2024.
  • US Federal Register. (2018). Review of controls for certain emerging technologies. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/19/2018-25221/review-of-controls-for-certain-emerging-technologies. Accessed: August 28, 2024.
  • U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC). (2025). US-China competition in emerging technologies. https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/Chapter_3--U.S.-China_Competition_in_Emerging_Technologies.pdf. Accessed: July 7, 2025. Varas, A., Varadarajan, R., Goodrich, J. & Yinug, F. (2020). Government incentives and US competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing. Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), https://www.semiconductors.org/resources/?fwp_resource_types=policy-reports&fwp_paged=2. Accessed: October 02, 2024.
  • Vernon, R. (1966). International investment and international trade in the product cycle. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 80(2), 190–207.
  • Wall Street Journal. (2021, March 13). The semiconductor shortage. https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/semiconductorshortage/docview/2500822237/se-2?accountid=10699. Accessed: October 04, 2024.
  • World Development Indicators Online Database. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators. Accessed: July 26, 2024.
  • WSTS (World Semiconductor Trade Statistics). (2024, June 4). WSTS semiconductor market forecast spring 2024. https://www.wsts.org/76/Recent-News-Release. Accessed: July 29, 2024.
  • Xiao, Y. (2022). The impact of the US-China trade war on China’s semiconductor industry. Proceedings of the 2022 2nd International Conference on Financial Management and Economic Transition (FMET 2022).
  • Zhang, L. E., Zhao, S., Kern, P., Edwards, T. & Zhang, Z.-X. (2023). The pursuit of indigenous innovation amid the tech cold war: the case of a Chinese high-tech firm, International Business Review, 32 (102079), 1-12.
There are 39 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Macroeconomics (Other)
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Burcu Türkcan 0000-0002-7494-5897

Mustafa Mutluer 0000-0002-4929-6055

Early Pub Date October 27, 2025
Publication Date October 29, 2025
Submission Date March 18, 2025
Acceptance Date August 21, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 5 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Türkcan, B., & Mutluer, M. (2025). Tech Cold War: China at the Gate. Uluslararası Sosyal Siyasal Ve Mali Araştırmalar Dergisi, 5(2), 223-235. https://doi.org/10.70101/ussmad.1660326