China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has been increasing efforts to adopt domestic semiconductor manufacturing equipment, as China strives to end its dependence on US chip-making technology, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. While SMIC’s technology lags behind industry leaders such as TSMC and Samsung, at its new Jingcheng facility near Beijing, the firm is aggressively integrating domestic chip production equipment and reducing its reliance on American tools, according to a source. The push for local chip production aims to shield Beijing from US sanctions, with China increasing investment in research and development in related areas. A key example of a breakthrough in this direction is the Huawei Mate 60 smartphone launched last August, which is equipped with the Chinese tech giant’s self-developed Kirin 9000S processor, the report mentioned. [The Wall Street Journal]