釜底抽薪

fǔ dǐ chōu xīn

to remove the root cause; to cut off the source

Character by character

釜fǔ
cauldron

底dǐ
bottom

抽chōu
pull out

薪xīn
firewood

限制芯片出口，是想对这些企业釜底抽薪。

Restricting chip exports is meant to cut the ground from under these firms.

Tone: neutral.

One of the Thirty-Six Stratagems: to stop the pot boiling, take away the fire.

Learn this in Lesson 106 · HSK 7–9: 芯片与人工智能 (Chips and artificial intelligence)

A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.