China's Secret 'Manhattan Project' Cracks EUV Barrier, Shocks West

• Reuters reveals China secretly built a crude but operational EUV lithography machine prototype in Shenzhen, a technology monopolized by ASML.
• This "Manhattan Project"-like effort involves thousands of engineers, ex-ASML recruits, and a nationwide network, including Huawei, under strict secrecy.
• The prototype generates EUV light, a milestone experts thought China would take a decade to reach, challenging Western tech dominance.
• It shortens China's timeline for advanced chip independence, weakening the West's strongest leverage point in the AI chip race.
• While not yet producing chips and less refined than ASML's, this breakthrough signals a major shift in global tech bifurcation and talent control.

Why It Matters: China's secret EUV prototype challenges Western tech dominance, accelerating global semiconductor bifurcation.