英特尔称来不及支持WAPI 6月将停售Wi-Fi芯片
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http://www.sina.com.cn 2004年03月11日 08:47 ChinaByte
ChinaByte3月11日消息 英特尔周三(3月10日)表示，公司无法在中国中国要求的6月1日底限前于产品中安装无线网络WAPI标准，因此恐被迫停止在中国销售Wi-Fi芯片。这是首家具体宣示产品销售将受中国新标准影响的公司，中美双方的贸易关系恐再生风波。
中国已制定法令，要求自今年6月1日起，所有电脑、手机和其他无线产品的Wi-Fi芯片必须与WAPI(有线认证及隐私基础建设)标准相容。
英特尔发言人ChuckMulloy指出，虽然英特尔和其他公司虽曾研究过此技术，但尚未找到将此标准加入现有Wi-Fi芯片的适当方式。由于自6月开始，在中国销售无此标准的芯片属非法，因此公司将停售Wi-Fi芯片。
英特尔直言，它无法解决WAPI技术和现有芯片之间的技术问题。另一发言人ColleenRubert表示，研发人员发现，WAPI技术在支援应用程序及与现有芯片相容上出现问题。“我们还没有找出能够达到英特尔品质标准，又能同时支援中国新标准的方式。”
WAPI问题使得中美贸易关系再度出现变数。根据中国法规，大型芯片制造商必须向本地公司取得授权或与其合作，以合法获得WAPI技术。但外商担心这会扶持中国的Wi-Fi产业。
美国国务卿Colin Powell、商务部长Donald Evans和贸易代表RobertZoellick在3月初相当罕见的联名致函中国副总理吴仪和其他领导人，吁请他们重新考虑此法令。
在国际压力升高及美国政府要求延后实施的情况下，北京主管官员在周三开会讨论如何执行新法令。消息人士透露，主管官员正在考虑是否将法令生效时间延后3个月，即至9月1日，不过还未做出正式决定。看看～自己没实力，还非要那自己的一些封闭的技术来套国外的标准，玩空手套白狼，现在傻了吧？ 中国目前也在推动其他本土研发的技术标准，范围涵盖DVD和第3代手机等。
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103_2-5172127.htmlIntel, others to stop shipping Wi-Fi to China
By Michael Kanellos
CNET News.com
March 10, 2004, 1:50 PM PT
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Intel and Broadcom will stop selling Wi-Fi chips in China at the end of May because of an encryption standard being imposed by the Chinese government, as trade tensions between the United States and China heat up.
The Chinese government has passed a law stating that, starting June 1, all Wi-Fi chips sold must comply with the Wired Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) standard. The encryption algorithm was developed in China and is controlled by local Chinese companies.
Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said Wednesday that while his company and others have looked at the technology, the Santa Clara, Calif., chipmaking giant has not figured out a satisfactory way to incorporate the standard into its existing line of Wi-Fi chips. As a result, Intel will stop offering its Wi-Fi chips in China after the beginning of June, because selling them would be illegal, he said.
The company is continuing to work with local PC manufacturers and the government on the issue, but it does not have enough information about WAPI at present to understand when or whether it will be able to ship chips that conform to the standard.
"There are real concerns about whether we can deliver a product with the quality our customers will require," Mulloy said. "We made a commitment to tell our customers in March, and we concluded that from a technical perspective, we weren't going to hit the June 1 deadline."
Broadcom, one of the larger Wi-Fi chipmakers, also plans to stop shipping chips to China, but it said it is trying to resolve the issue.
"We intend to comply with the law," a Broadcom representative said. "We don't have enough information to do (WAPI) right now." Other U.S. and European manufacturers plan to follow suit, the representative added.
The WAPI issue has become a flash point in Chinese-U.S. trade relations. Under Chinese regulations, established chipmakers have to license or partner with local companies, such as Lenovo, to legally obtain WAPI technology. In turn, this has provoked concern that the regulation exists as a way to jump-start the country's local Wi-Fi industry.
Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans, Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Trade representative Robert Zoellick sent a letter to Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and others to reconsider the law.
"We are particularly concerned that the new rules would require foreign suppliers to enter into joint ventures with Chinese companies and transfer technology to them," the letter stated. "Such compelled investment would appear to be inconsistent with China's WTO (World Trade Organization) commitments."
While local industries typically benefit from these types of regulations, other motives are usually present, said Lawrence J. Lau, Kwoh-Ting Li professor of economic development at Stanford University.
"I believe there are genuine security concerns on China's part, although the domestic industry is also likely to benefit," he stated in an e-mail. "However, most of the time these technology standards are intended to provide protection for domestic industry against foreign imports."
Lau further added that these types of regulations often do not have their intended effect.
"Our cell phones do not work in Japan, so the Japanese manufacturers and distributors have a lock in their home market," he said. "However, that did not exactly help Japan. Today none of the leading cell phone companies are Japanese. By setting a different standard, Japan has actually limited the growth of its own cell phone companies."
China also is pushing domestically developed technical standards on a wide range of technologies, from DVDs to third-generation mobile phones.
The Semiconductor Industry Association has been urging the U.S. government to force China to reform its value-added tax (VAT) regulations. Chips imported into China face a 17 percent VAT. Whereas, chips made in the country face only a 3 percent VAT. Consequently, Chinese manufacturers or multinational manufacturers that have built Chinese plants have an unfair advantage, according to the organization.
Conversely, other organizations are seeking greater cooperation. The U.S. semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry is trying to push the United States into greater cooperation with China. Under current regulations, U.S. equipment makers can't easily ship high-end equipment to China. As a result, U.S. manufacturers are losing out on sales to European and Asian competitors, according to the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute and others.
A relaxation of the regulations is expected sometime this month, according to a recent report from the U.S. Taiwan Business Council.
