• Taiwan adds Huawei and SMIC to its strategic high-tech commodities entity list.
• This move mandates government approval for Taiwanese firms exporting to these companies.
• The blacklist reflects ongoing tensions between the US, Taiwan, and China over technology.

Taiwan has officially added China's tech giants Huawei Technologies and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) to its export control list, requiring Taiwanese companies to seek government approval before exporting to these organizations. This strategic move places Huawei and SMIC alongside other proscribed entities such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, highlighting Taiwan's commitment to safeguarding sensitive technology amid escalating US-China tech rivalry, according to Indiatimes and Channel News Asia.

The list, maintained by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, restricts both companies from acquiring crucial semiconductor technologies from Taiwanese firms, seriously undermining China's ambitions for chipmaking in a key area dominated by US firms like Nvidia. This update follows existing US sanctions against both companies, further tightening the collaborative loopholes between Chinese firms and Taiwanese technology providers, as reported by Reuters and South China Morning Post.

In particular, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's leading chipmaker and a critical supplier to AI firms like Nvidia, plays a central role in the geopolitical landscape. Despite previous restrictions on exports to Chinese companies, the latest measures represent a significant escalation in Taiwan's regulatory approach to technology exports. Notably, these developments are part of Taiwan's broader defense strategy against what it perceives as technological infiltration from China, according to Indiatimes and Reuters.

As tensions rise, the future of both Huawei and SMIC's ambitions in chip production remains uncertain, particularly as they face significant constraints under current sanctions. This latest development underscores not only Taiwan's critical position within the global tech supply chain but also the broader implications for international relations in the realm of technology, as highlighted by analysts and reports from Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.