Taiwan says China is stealing technology and poaching engineers from the island

  • Taiwan is home to a world-leading semiconductor industry, leading to worries about industrial espionage
  • It is unclear when or if the proposal to amend the commercial secrets law could be passed

A 12-inch wafer is displayed at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Xinchu January 9, 2007. Photo: Reuters

Taiwan’s government on Wednesday accused China of waging economic warfare against the Chinese-claimed island’s tech sector by stealing technology and enticing away engineers, as parliament considers strengthening legislation to prevent this.

Taiwan is home to a thriving and world-leading semiconductor industry, used in everything from fighter jets to cars, and the government has long worried about China’s efforts to copy that success, including by industrial espionage and other underhand methods.

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