First up appears to be the US-based memory chip maker Micron which flogs rather a lot of gear in the Middle Kingdom.

A brief Chinese government statement issued on 31 March said that the review of Micron is being undertaken “to ensure the security of the key information infrastructure supply chain, prevent network security risks caused by hidden product problems, and maintain national security.”

The implications of China’s investigation into Micron are similar to US concerns about companies like Huawei and ZTE and could end up the same way. All it takes is a hint of a link between the company and the government, and suddenly they are public enema number one.

Additional efforts at chip-based diplomacy have also occurred between the US and India, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding to reduce both nations’ dependence on China for semiconductors.

A widely distributed statement from Micron said that the company is aware of the Chinese government’s investigation and plans to cooperate fully.