On May 25, 2026, at the IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS 2026) held in Shanghai, Huawei Director and President of the Semiconductor Business Department, He Tingbo, delivered a keynote speech titled "Exploration and Practice of New Paths in Semiconductors"*, during which he publicly introduced for the first time the "Tao (τ) Law." This marks China's first proposal of a guiding principle for the global semiconductor industry, announced by Huawei.
The news quickly drew widespread attention from international media and industry circles. Bloomberg, Reuters, and other major outlets swiftly responded with in-depth reports highlighting Huawei’s new breakthrough in chip technology.
Huawei’s latest announcement undoubtedly represents a historic moment for the global semiconductor industry. This is not merely a technical release—it signifies China’s semiconductor sector officially transitioning from long-term “passive breakout” to “active rule-setting.”
According to industry analysis, for over half a century, the semiconductor industry worldwide has followed the principle established by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore—the so-called “Moore’s Law,” which centers on continuously shrinking transistor physical dimensions (i.e., “geometric scaling”). However, as fabrication processes approach atomic scale, quantum tunneling effects and astronomically high factory construction costs have made this path increasingly narrow.
Huawei’s newly proposed “Tao Law” completely shifts the paradigm: instead of obsessively miniaturizing transistors, it focuses on systematically reducing the signal propagation time constant τ (Tau)—a concept referred to as “temporal scaling.” Through architectural innovation, signals are made to travel faster and with lower latency, enabling performance leaps even on existing manufacturing processes. This is akin to building elevated expressways within a traditional “flat city,” exchanging design complexity for superior performance density.
Huawei has clearly set an ambitious goal: by 2031, high-end chips based on the “Tao Law” will achieve an equivalent transistor density of 1.4 nanometers process technology.
This means that even without access to the most advanced EUV lithography machines, Huawei can match—or surpass—competitors relying on cutting-edge physical process technologies through extreme optimization in architecture and design. This not only provides a clear evolutionary roadmap for China’s semiconductor supply chain in advanced packaging, EDA tools, and related fields, but also greatly alleviates anxiety caused by external technological blockades.
For decades, the foundational principles driving semiconductor evolution have almost entirely been proposed by American companies and academics. The launch of the “Tao Law” marks the first time a Chinese enterprise has introduced a globally applicable, industry-level fundamental law with broad strategic significance in the semiconductor domain.
This explains why major international media such as Bloomberg and Reuters reacted so rapidly. From the Western perspective, Huawei is not only finding a way to circumvent sanctions technologically, but also vying for the “right to define” future global tech competition. As external observers have noted, this is a pivotal statement of China’s technological self-reliance and self-strengthening—a milestone marking China’s semiconductor industry’s historic leap from “technical followship” to “theoretical leadership.”
In summary, the proposal of the “Tao Law” is both Huawei’s ultimate countermeasure under extreme pressure and a landmark moment signaling China’s semiconductor industry maturing and beginning to participate in shaping global rules. The upcoming autumn product launch and the 2031 target date are worth watching closely.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866162084081676/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s).