High Capacity Is China Building the Next NVIDIA? China's Semiconductor Industrial Policy with Paul Triolo
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May 12, 2026 
Paul Triolo, partner at DGA Albright Stonebridge Group and China semiconductor expert. He maps China’s push for semiconductor self-reliance, from Huawei’s pivot into chipmaking to the race to build EUV-equivalent tools. Short takes on how export controls reshaped strategy, emerging domestic toolmakers and fabs, and why Chinese AI firms are shifting toward homegrown hardware.
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Self Reliance Became Policy After Export Controls
- China's semiconductor policy shifted from market integration to explicit self-reliance after the 14th and 15th Five-Year Plans driven by U.S. export controls.
- The National IC Fund and Made in China 2025 pivoted to more aggressive state-backed investments and targets after 2018–2019 controls on advanced lithography.
Export Controls Sparked A New Domestic Tool–Fab Feedback Loop
- China is building domestic toolmakers and fabs simultaneously, creating a new integrated loop between tool vendors and fabs that accelerates learning.
- Companies like SMIC, Hua Hong, NARA, AMEC and Pyotech are expanding because export controls forced local substitution and deeper collaboration.
Huawei's Reluctant Transformation Into A Chip Champion
- Paul Triolo described visiting Huawei in 2019 where they proudly showed in-house chip designs and tens of thousands of engineers in HiSilicon.
- Huawei reluctantly moved from relying on TSMC to building Harmony OS and pursuing in-house manufacturing after being put on the entity list.