[larryliu]

US military also once bought fake chips from China: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2008/oct/06/secu...

There are good reputation vendors in China, but if purchasers type in the chip model in Alibaba and simply buy the cheapest, it's likely to be bad.

Russian purchasers should know this, but maybe they don't care or they got kickbacks.

[sct202]

The more trustworthy Chinese companies are also refusing to do business with Russia so that they don't get sanctioned and lose business with the rest of the world. That leaves Russia with the worst of the worst.

[larryliu]

Russian agents set up shell companies that hide their Russian nexus. IC vendors don't really background check cash buyers.

Many ICs are sold in open markets like this: https://n.sinaimg.cn/sinakd10114/107/w1024h683/20220819/c5a8...

Cash and carry, no fux given. You cannot sanction an open market like you cannot sanction open source software.

[nieve]

But similarly you can't be sure what you're buying in a market like that.

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

*unknowingly