EUV (not High-NA) is much, much more complex than Immersion Lithography—and China doesn’t have have that either—the optics (mirrors), the light source, the masks, everything under vacuum… A blank check (which the government would be happy to sign) is not enough to catch up on everything in 10 years, integrate it and then make it work reliably at a decent throughput. Not impossible, of course, which is why they are going to try.
To top it all off, a lot of this stuff is patented. Not that China cares all that much about Western patents, but violations in this area would make the geopolitical situation even more tense.
To top it all off, a lot of this stuff is patented. Not that China cares all that much about Western patents, but violations in this area would make the geopolitical situation even more tense.