China's Tech Espionage and the Difficulty of Reverse Engineering Advanced Chip Tools. Chris Riegel discusses how TSMC and ASML technology face constant threats from Chinese industrial espionage. ASML'

China's Tech Espionage and the Difficulty of Reverse Engineering Advanced Chip Tools. Chris Riegel discusses how TSMC and ASML technology face constant threats from Chinese industrial espionage. ASML's chipmaking tools are highly complex, making reverse engineering nearly impossible. Europe is waking up to the risks; recently, the Dutch government seized China-owned chipmaker Nexperia. China is estimated to be two to three years behind US high-end chip technology and requires access to advanced ASML tools to catch up.