China wants more homegrown chips in its cars. The hard part isn’t geopolitics

SHENZHEN: Chips are what make today’s cars smart – managing everything from power, braking, steering and the software behind every screen. Pop open the hood of China’s latest smart vehicles and a growing share of those chips now comes from domestic suppliers, according to officials and industry observers, as the country’s drive to slot more homegrown semiconductors into cars gains traction. But analysts say progress remains uneven, with adoption concentrated in core control functions rather than advanced computing platforms that power assisted driving and digital cockpit systems. And while Beijing contends with a simmering rivalry with Washington and other parts…