China’s No 1 chipmaker SMIC gives ex-TSMC veteran top role, highlighting need for pragmatism amid push for home-grown tech
- SMIC said in a statement on Wednesday that it was communicating with co-CEO Liang to verify his intention to resign
- The boardroom shake-up comes at a time when the Chinese foundry is facing increased US scrutiny over its alleged ties with the Chinese military
A boardroom shake-up at China’s leading wafer foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) could be an attempt to bring stability to a national chip champion trying to reduce the country’s reliance on core US semiconductor technology.
Chiang Shangyi, who spent nine years as head of research and development at Taiwan foundry giant TSMC before retiring in 2006, has been appointed executive director and vice-chairman of SMIC and a member of its strategic committee, according to a SMIC stock filing on Tuesday.
Previously, Chiang had served as an independent non-executive director at SMIC from December 2016 to June 2019.
“SMIC needs stable management right now,” said Stewart Randall, head of electronics and embedded software at Intralink, a Shanghai-based consultancy.
Liang Mong Song, co-CEO of SMIC, is said to have resigned over the appointment of Chiang, according to Liang’s resignation letter seen by several Chinese media outlets. Liang was still listed as co-CEO among other senior executives in SMIC’s stock filing issued Tuesday.
Liang also worked for TSMC before joining SMIC but was overlooked for the top R&D job when Chiang left, according to Taiwan media reports at the time.