The advice “dig two graves, before you set out” applies to anyone bent on revenge. An old aphorism is hardly going to divert the US from its mission to restrict Chinese access to its world-beating technology, slowing the progress of its rival towards self-sufficiency in high-performance chips.

However, American policymakers are unlikely to have fully appreciated the corollary of splitting the world semiconductor supply chain in two: far higher costs for western manufacturers and their customers.

Advanced chips and the factories making them have become a substitute for arms and armies in the east-west stand-off because they are a critical component of our modern lives. They are central to mobile devices, electric cars and gaming consoles. They are also the foundation of next generation technology from self-driving cars, 5G internet, cloud services and artificial intelligence.