Taiwan has been a crucial source of technology as China seeks to fulfill its semiconductor dream
Taiwan News
Date: 2019/01/07
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
(Image from UMC’s webste)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China’s ambition to develop a self-reliant semiconductor sector as part of its “Made in China 2025” initiative could suffer a setback as Taiwanese chipmaker United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC, 聯華電子) is downsizing its Chinese chip project over tensions with the U.S., reported Nikkei Asian Review.
The decision by UMC to move 140 engineers out of the 300 personnel of its DRAM team tasked to assist Chinese government-backed Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit (JHICC, 福建晉華) to other positions could be interpreted as a first step towards ceasing its memory chip development business, the report argued.
UMC and JHICC were indicted by a U.S. grand jury over espionage charges last November, in which the two companies allegedly stole trade secrets from U.S. semiconductor company Micron Technology.
Triggered by fears that the lawsuit could harm the company’s contract manufacturing business, UMC scaled down cooperation with JHICC, which had expected to start chip fabrication in 2019. The prospect now appears unlikely, said the report.
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