by Oui
Sun Jul 3rd, 2022 at 08:43:45 PM EST
Taiwan cracks down on China poaching tech talent
2 charts show how much the world depends on Taiwan for semiconductors | CNBC - Mar 16, 2021 |
Taiwan's outsized role in chipmaking has come under the spotlight as a global shortage of semiconductors forced several automakers to halt production.
Countries including the U.S. and Germany reached out to Taiwan to help alleviate bottlenecks in the production of chips. The shortage was a result of increased demand for electronics during the Covid-19 pandemic, and was exacerbated by former President Donald Trump's trade war with China.
Taiwan dominates the foundry market, or the outsourcing of semiconductor manufacturing. Its contract manufacturers together accounted for more than 60% of total global foundry revenue last year, according to data by Taipei-based research firm TrendForce.
Much of Taiwan's dominance can be attributed to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd or TSMC, the world's largest foundry that counts major technology firms such as Apple, Qualcomm and Nvidia as its clients. TSMC accounted for 54% of total foundry revenue globally last year, TrendForce data showed.
Semiconductors are critical components that power electronics from computers and smartphones to the brake sensors in cars. The production of chips involves a complex network of firms that design or make them, as well as those that supply the technology, materials and machinery to do so.
Why Russia Can't Replace TSMC
In late February 2022, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company or TSMC announced that it would halt shipments to Russia per a new round of sanctions.
The TSMC halt ended shipments from fabless companies like Baikal, MCST, Yadro and STC Module. Intel and AMD have stopped their shipments to Russia as well.
In recent years, Russia has been looking to create their own supply of semiconductors. While there are some interesting domestic design successes, domestic capacity to manufacture those designs have been falling farther and farther behind.
We find ourselves living in strange times. In this video, we are going to do an overview of Russia's ever-worsening domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry.
Trump Puts Max Pressure On Ally PM Rutte
Even a Rutte promise to help bomb Iran, won't cut dice in today's dilemma.
ASML delivery 5th generation definitely blocked by White House of Joe Biden
Chinese ambassador warns Dutch government against restricting ASML supplies | Nasdaq / Reuters |
Trade relations between China and the Netherlands would be damaged if Dutch semiconductor equipment supplier ASML is not allowed to ship its newest machines to China, Beijing's ambassador to the Netherlands was quoted as saying.
Reuters reported that the Netherlands had withheld the licence ASML needs to export its newest machines to China following pressure from the U.S. government.
ASML, one of the Netherlands' largest companies, is a near monopolist in lithography, an essential step in the manufacture of computer chips.
Dutch company caught in crossfire of Sino-US feud for tech supremacy ...
ASML can export DUV (deep ultraviolet) lithography machines from the Netherlands to China without a US license.
Darson said that ASML will do its best to continue to provide services and support for all customers as much as possible.
Peter Wennink, President and CEO, ASML Holding NV, member Bilderberg Group
With the end of the era of Germany's Angela Merkel, lost the EU-27 a leader that stood for sovereignty and economic decision-making for Europe's interest. Trump and Biden hated her for it.
Merkel pushes EU-China investment deal over the finish line despite criticism | Politico - Dec. 29, 2020 |
For critics, it's a rushed deal that's too soft on labor rights. For Angela Merkel, it's a strategic win and icing on the cake of Germany's Council of the EU presidency.
EU diplomats and officials say the German chancellor played a crucial role in finalizing the long-delayed EU-China investment agreement, which has taken more than seven years of negotiations. Those talks are set to be wrapped up Wednesday in a high-level videoconference between Brussels, Berlin and Beijing, just before Germany hands over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU to Portugal at the end of the week.
The video call with Merkel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled for 1 p.m. Brussels time Wednesday, the EU confirmed late Tuesday.
The leaders plan to give political endorsement to the deal, which would then still have to be legally revised, translated into different languages, and be officially approved by EU governments and the European Parliament as well as potentially national parliaments -- a process that would take until early 2022 at least.
The European Commission said the agreement was a success story because it not only increases market access for European investors in China and tackles forced technology transfer, non-transparent subsidies and state-owned enterprises, but also commits China to "make continued and sustained efforts" to ratify international conventions on banning forced labor.
However, some EU countries like Belgium and the Netherlands [??] have raised concerns about the EU's ability to address human rights issues under the agreement.
Others like Poland are questioning why the EU is rushing ahead to seal the deal with China without waiting for the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, whose transition team has already voiced concerns about the deal.
Strong criticism is also coming from the European Parliament. "The Commission has folded on the issue of workers' rights," said Green MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, the chair of Parliament's delegation for relations with China. Bütikofer said that simple commitments on abandoning forced labor were not enough: "It is ridiculous to try selling that as a success."
European Parliament votes to freeze China investment deal | Axios - May 2021 |
[Update-1]
The Inevitable Rivalry -- America, China, and the Tragedy of Great-Power Politics
END OF UPDATE
Further historic background ...
China's Rise: Diverging U.S.-EU Perceptions and Approaches | SWP Berlin - August 2005 |
