China’s Loongson Hits 1M CPU Shipments in Push for Homegrown Chips

China’s homegrown CPU effort just reached a new milestone, with Loongson Technology saying it has shipped over one million of its flagship 3A6000 desktop processors.

The milestone gives China’s domestic chip sector a benchmark as Beijing works to expand the use of locally designed processors in government and other priority sectors. The 3A6000’s use in China’s XinChuang program shows growing demand for local CPUs, even as its performance still trails newer Intel chips.

Loongson reaches a shipment milestone

The South China Morning Post reported that Loongson’s 3A6000 processor was built on the company’s self-developed LoongArch architecture, proprietary IP cores, and domestic manufacturing supply chain.

“The company has said the chip’s performance is broadly comparable to Intel desktop processors released around 2020,” SCMP noted. 

The 3A6000 is a desktop processor, so it is better suited to everyday PC and office workloads than to AI training or large data center systems.

Loongson was founded in 2001 as a research project under the Chinese Academy of Sciences before being spun off in 2010. The company became the first CPU-focused firm to be listed on Shanghai’s Star Market in 2022.

China’s CPU localization continues

Loongson’s shipment figure comes as China continues to promote domestic alternatives to foreign technology. The XinChuang program has supported that effort by replacing some foreign IT products with local options in government and other priority areas. 

The adoption of the 3A6000 in XinChuang gives Loongson a clearer role in China’s public-sector technology strategy. The milestone does not mean Chinese desktop CPUs have caught up with global leaders, but it shows that local processors are moving into broader use. 

For APAC markets, the milestone shows how chip sourcing is becoming more local as governments and companies pay closer attention to supply chains and processor availability.

Local chip efforts expand beyond processors

BIS Infotech also tied Loongson’s 3A6000 to China’s wider effort to strengthen its domestic CPU base.

China’s localization drive extends beyond CPUs. For instance, a research team led by the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory had used automation to support local production of a chipmaking material. 

“A research team led by the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory said on Monday it had used an ‘AI decision-making plus automated synthesis’ system to achieve stable production of high-end KrF photoresist resin,” SCMP wrote. 

KrF photoresist resin is used in chipmaking and has long been dominated by a small group of overseas suppliers. 

For Loongson, the shipment figure provides China’s domestic CPU sector with a clear benchmark. It also shows how government procurement, local chip architecture, and semiconductor policy are shaping China’s technology market.

China’s CPU milestone is part of a broader AI chip race, including Nvidia’s $40 billion investment strategy that goes beyond chips.