How US-China RISC-V collaboration is deepening despite chip rivalry
As global adoption of the open-source RISC-V chip architecture accelerates, US intellectual property provider MIPS is collaborating with Chinese firms at an unprecedented level, according to a senior executive, highlighting how cross-border cooperation persists despite intense tech rivalry between Washington and Beijing. MIPS, which was acquired by US chipmaker GlobalFoundries last year, was…
As the popularity of open-source RISC-V chip architecture surges globally, US intellectual property firm MIPS is forging unprecedented partnerships with Chinese companies, according to MIPS chief technology officer Yankin Tanurhan. This collaboration, which occurred during a September media briefing in Shanghai, highlights the persistence of cross-border cooperation amid intense technological rivalry between the United States and China.
Tanurhan explained that MIPS and Chinese firms had been driving RISC-V standardization "very closely," emphasizing the broader initiatives under the RISC-V International governing body aimed at uniting global players, including US, European, and Chinese entities as well as academia, to standardize technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to microcontrollers and data center servers.
The remarks from Tanurhan align with those of Qi Xiaoning, a prominent chip industry expert at Alibaba Group Holding, a major player in China's RISC-V sector through its research arm, Damo Academy. Speaking at the SCMP China Conference 2026 in Hong Kong, Qi highlighted how major companies from around the world were collaborating as a unified ecosystem on the RISC-V open-standard chip architecture for edge processing and cloud applications.
RISC-V, an open-standard instruction set architecture developed by the non-profit RISC-V International, is gaining traction in China due to its free use and modification, enabling Beijing and domestic tech firms to reduce reliance on foreign proprietary architectures such as Intel's x86 and Arm.
RISC-V chip manufacturers have expanded their reach beyond niche applications like automotive components and IoT devices to next-generation computing and advanced physical AI. Beijing-based Eswin Computing Technology is poised to become the first pure-play RISC-V chipmaker to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange, slated for October 9, signaling strong market confidence in open-source chip commercial viability.
The chips' growth rate has outpaced both x86 and Arm architectures due to their "openness, energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and customizability," said Liu Shuai, Eswin's vice-president and chief marketing officer, at an industry event in September. Eswin is also developing an "RISC-V plus AI" ecosystem with its partners.
MIPS reported significant progress in high-performance computing, with its RISC-V platform achieving mass production in AI data centers and securing contracts with 13 of the world's top 15 AI and data center infrastructure chip suppliers. The Chinese clients, initially developing RISC-V chips for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), have repurposed the designs for humanoid robotics.
MIPS noted that the testing ground and application ecosystem in China is robust enough to support developers through the critical "last mile" of R&D. Beijing has further bolstered policy support for RISC-V by designating its development as a core pillar of China's 15th five-year plan for the electronics and information technology industry, integrating the architecture into a state-level strategy.
Despite heightened competition, MIPS maintains strong talent ties with its Chinese counterparts, retaining a competitive advantage through its global reach and scale.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
