China's nuclear program skirts Western machine tool sanctions

Nikkei probe finds Japanese and German 'mother machines' where they shouldn't be

China's nuclear development program has evaded sanctions to obtain some of the world's most advanced machine tools.

Nikkei staff writers

November 7, 2023 05:00 JST

TOKYO -- Machine tools are used to shape parts made of metal or other materials by cutting, shearing, grinding and other processes. The most sophisticated five-axis machine tools seamlessly shape complex shapes. From turbine blades in generators to aircraft impellers and automobile engine parts, the most advanced machine tools are indispensable to every industry, and are referred to as "mother machines."