China eyes chip-industry foothold with a tiny Han Xin code to challenge US standard

After failing to unseat the QR code years ago, Beijing is betting that a “micro” version of its home-grown barcode can gain a foothold in the global semiconductor supply chain

China is attempting to breathe new life into its nearly 20-year-old Han Xin code by promoting a miniaturised version to use on semiconductors, marking the latest chapter in Beijing’s long-running attempt to secure a foothold for its home-grown standards in global industrial supply chains.

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said on Monday that the “Micro Han Xin” code – a scaled-down iteration of the 2007-era symbology – had entered the formal international standardisation process. The effort aims to mark components that are too small for conventional labelling, specifically computer components.

These ultra-compact codes give unique identities to sensors, microprocessors, controllers, memory units and other components, allowing them to be tracked across complex fabrication, packaging and testing workflows.

The move reflects a strategic recalibration as China looks to challenge the established foreign technologies being used in high-specification industrial applications. The SAMR acknowledged how the domestic semiconductor sector currently relies heavily on foreign systems such as Data Matrix, which was created in the United States nearly 40 years ago and is already the global standard for marking and tracking semiconductors, silicon wafers and electronic components.