Why RISC-V Lags in China

China does appear to have many "buyers" interested in RISC-V cores. But as I hunt for "developers" trying to leverage the RISC-V instruction set, I'm coming up short in Shanghai.

By Junko Yoshida, EETimes (November 15, 2018)

SHANGHAI — Asked to name one country where “free,” “open-source” RISC-V should find its natural home, I was pretty sure it ought to be China.

Consider China’s history. Although the government has invested in various CPUs in the past, China never invented a home-grown CPU. Logic dictates, hence, that the Chinese engineering community would jump on RISC-V. Right?

Not so fast. China does appear to have many “buyers” interested in RISC-V cores, as Rick Merritt reported in Silicon Valley. But as I hunt for “developers” trying to leverage the RISC-V instruction set, I’m coming up short in Shanghai.

In theory, RISC-V should provide Chinese engineers with a much-needed level playing field. The reality is that China and RISC-V don’t seem to be compatible — at least for now.

Here are five reasons why:

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