Beijing | A three-year-old state-backed memory-chip maker has signed two deals with a Canadian patent-licensing company that will give China access to the technology it needs to produce the widely used chips domestically.

The deals mark the latest attempt by a Chinese company to leapfrog to a higher level of technological capability. The agreements come as China pushes for self-sufficiency in high-tech industries after its trade spat with the US laid bare its dependence on foreign suppliers for crucial types of microchips.