Chip dilemma will buy Beijing precious time

HONG KONG, Dec 19 (Reuters Breakingviews) – America's chip war against China will make only partial inroads in 2023. After unveiling sweeping new export restrictions in October, Washington appears to have successfully lobbied friendly governments including Japan and the Netherlands to join. A full anti-China alignment, however, will be tricky while global semiconductors demand slows. The latest U.S. trade rules effectively make ultra-high-performance microprocessors used in supercomputers off limits to Chinese buyers; as are software and equipment required to make semiconductors above certain technological thresholds, including high-end memory chips from China's YMTC. The move has prompted Apple (AAPL.O) to freeze…