> Reproducing an ASML machine is a piece of cake

No its not, you have to be extremely precise when making the machine, and only ASML knows how to do that. China already have a big government funded project to reproduce ASML machines and they have failed so far.

> Reproducing an ASML machine is a piece of cake. Okay, not a piece of cake but definitely doable. The problem is that you cannot sell your reproduction in rich countries because the US government will threaten you with sanctions and US companies will screech "patents!".

... An argument that may not convince China and Russia, who have a track record of ignoring it - I doubt it is a significant reason why they have not achieved semiconductor manufacture tooling parity.