According to Andrew Ng, China barred its major tech companies from buying Nvidia chips, signaling progress toward reduced reliance on U.S.-designed advanced semiconductors that are largely manufactured by TSMC in Taiwan. Source: Andrew Ng on X, Sep 25, 2025. Ng added that this move underscores growing U.S. vulnerability to possible disruptions in Taiwan as China becomes less exposed. Source: Andrew Ng on X, Sep 25, 2025. He stated that after the U.S. restricted AI chip sales to China, China dramatically ramped up semiconductor research and investment toward self-sufficiency, and results are starting to appear. Source: Andrew Ng on X, Sep 25, 2025. As evidence, Ng cited that the DeepSeek-R1-Safe model was trained on 1000 Huawei Ascend chips and highlighted Huawei’s system-level design, including the CloudMatrix 384 system that aims to compete with Nvidia’s GB200 built from 72 higher-capability chips. Source: Andrew Ng on X, Sep 25, 2025. Ng emphasized that U.S. access to advanced semiconductors is still heavily dependent on TSMC, noting one TSMC Arizona fab is operating but that workforce, licensing, permitting, and supply-chain hurdles remain before it can substitute for Taiwan production. Source: Andrew Ng on X, Sep 25, 2025. He warned that if China achieves manufacturing independence faster than the U.S., the U.S. becomes more vulnerable to Taiwan supply interruptions, and that dependence on a single manufacturer invites shortages, price spikes, and stalled innovation. Source: Andrew Ng on X, Sep 25, 2025.