Topic
Semiconductors are the cornerstone technology of the information age. These tiny electronic devices, usually smaller than a postage stamp, power the modern economy by acting as data-processing brains for products, from smartphones to cars and spacecraft.
- President Yoon Suk-yeol met with industry leaders and pledged to expand research and development to maintain South Korea’s lead in memory chips
- South Korea, which exports 40 per cent of its chip production to China, has sought to avoid becoming embroiled in a row between Beijing and Washington over semiconductors
China’s chip imports slumped nearly 20 per cent in the first five months of 2023, according to official customs data, as trade with South Korea and Japan shrank amid an intensified US-China tech war.
The new joint venture underscores China’s efforts to remain strong in ‘legacy semiconductors’ amid US trade sanctions that restrict the mainland’s access to advanced integrated circuits and chip-making equipment.
Nine straight months of declining exports saw shipments of Taiwanese electronics fall by 9.9 per cent in May, year on year, but American Chamber of Commerce says concerns are ‘misplaced’ about investment shifting to US.
Futian district is offering semiconductor companies up to 60 per cent off of rent and research and development subsidies in China’s pursuit of chip self-sufficiency.
TSMC’s capital expenditure should wind up closer to the bottom end of a previously forecast US$32 billion to US$36 billion range, company chairman Mark Liu said.
The news is likely to upset mainland fans, as a visit to mainland China by Huang would have been seen as a sign that the country is too big a market to ignore.
In this edition of the Global Impact newsletter, we look back at how quickly the ban on US firm Micron Technology came about and also at the potential implications.
The restricted items on the list are expansive and will target a range of hi-tech equipment and materials needed for advanced chip production, hence China’s anger.
The chip unit of Alibaba has joined a global group to develop an ecosystem for the open source RISC-V architecture, as China seeks self-sufficiency in semiconductors amid US sanctions.
Two Republican lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to rally US allies including Japan and South Korea in the wake of Beijing’s ban on the sale of some Micron memory chips.
Washington is said to be preparing regulations to curb investment into ‘critical sectors’, a move experts said would reduce capital flows and which Beijing said is ‘harmful and serves no one’s interests’.
Chinese computer maker Powerleader, which was suspected of rebadging one of Intel’s older microprocessors as its own, said its CPU was developed ‘with the support of Intel’
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang may arrive in Shanghai next Tuesday, according to state-backed newspaper Shanghai Securities News, although Huang told reporters in Taiwan that he had not decided on the trip yet.
Broadcom, one of the world’s biggest chipmakers, predicted that sales tied to artificial intelligence are on track to double this year, helping offset a broader slowdown in technology spending.
The move comes amid questions over the chip development capability of Chinese smartphone makers, after the disbandment of Oppo’s in-house team.
The main goal among Japanese firms at the Computex Taipei tech show is ‘connecting with manufacturers’ in Taiwan at a time when tech supply chains are being rapidly realigned.
A planned US$3 billion semiconductor facility in India that counted Israeli chip maker Tower as a tech partner has been stalled due to the company’s ongoing takeover by Intel, sources said.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is heading to China to meet with executives from Tencent, ByteDance and EV makers Li Auto and BYD, despite rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.
China is currently unable to access advanced chips, such as those used in the latest smartphones and laptops, due to US trade sanctions.
Semiconductors, AI and quantum computing among targeted sectors, with aim of restricting flow of US investment dollars ‘that comes with know-how’.
A new law will allow authorities in the Netherlands to review the Chinese-owned semiconductor maker’s acquisition of the local manufacturer.
Citing political strife amid cross-strait tensions and the US-China trade dispute, some mainland exhibitors at this week’s Computex Taipei tech show sent local Taiwanese representatives instead of flying people in from the mainland.
China’s semiconductor industry faces major pressure from Tokyo’s growing cooperation with the US on chip controls, prompting Beijing response.
