The Post-October 7 World

On October 7, 2022, the United States enacted a new set of export controls designed to choke off China’s access to the future of military artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Though the end target of the October 7 export controls was China’s military AI development, the means to that end was restricting U.S. exports of advanced semiconductor technology. In expansively restricting technology exports, the October 7 regulations marked a significant change from nearly three decades of U.S. trade and technology policy toward China.

Much has been written about the October 7 export controls in the United States, but too often the U.S. conversation suffers from a shortage of international perspectives, including the political and policy dynamics within key U.S. allies. This compendium seeks to address that shortage. The Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies at CSIS has assembled a distinguished group of international experts who have a rich understanding of both the global semiconductor industry and its geopolitical dimensions. Each of their essays provides essential insights into the situation facing their home country or region in the post-October 7 era.

Essays:

• Foreword | The Importance of Understanding Allied Perspectives
  by Gregory C. Allen
• South Korean Perspective | South Korea Needs Increased (but Quiet) Export Control Coordination with the United States
  by Wonho Yeon
• German Perspective | A German Foreign Policy and Export Control Overhaul Is Underway
  by Julian Ringhof and Jan-Peter Kleinhans
• Japanese Perspective | Japan Embraces Its Strategic Indispensability in Alliance with the United States
  by Kazuto Suzuki
• Dutch Perspective | How the Netherlands Followed Washington’s October 7 Export Restrictions
  by Rem Korteweg
• Taiwanese Perspective | Geopolitical Challenges Should Not Dilute Taiwan’s Focus on Mastering Advanced Technologies and Critical Applications
  by Chau-Chyun Chang
• European Union Perspective | Current EU Regulations Struggle to Adapt to a Post-October 7 World
  by Francesca Ghiretti and Antonia Hmaidi
• United States Perspective | Export Controls as an Instrument of Foreign Policy
  by Emily Benson and Catharine Mouradian

This report was made possible by the generous support of CSIS and the Survival and Flourishing Fund.