June 27, 2022
Building a Silicon Bulwark: How the United States and Taiwan Can Retain Joint Leadership of the Global Semiconductor Industry
In March of this year, the Taiwan Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau (法務部調查局) launched probes into more than 100 companies suspected of trying to woo the island’s semiconductor engineers to work for mainland Chinese companies. Two months later, it raided the offices of 10 more semiconductor companies and summoned their owners for questioning about talent poaching.
China’s efforts to sabotage Taiwan’s chipmaking industry are not new. In 2019, for example, Taiwan’s Business Weekly reported that more than 3,000 semiconductor engineers had already departed the island for positions at mainland companies, amounting to nearly one-tenth of the roughly 30,000 Taiwanese engineers involved in semiconductor research and development (R&D). Although Chinese firms face significant barriers in various segments of the semiconductor industry, they have succeeded in amassing a wealth of intrinsic knowledge by luring not only top Taiwanese executives, but also “entire production teams on the ground.”
Given its prominent position in so many global supply chains, threats to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry are a source of international concern.
Given its prominent position in so many global supply chains, threats to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry are a source of international concern. This article argues that, despite their competing interests in some segments of the chip market, the US and Taiwanese governments share an interest in strengthening mechanisms for mutual legal assistance, harmonizing approaches to export control, and pooling investments in semiconductor fabrication.
Read the full article from The Global Taiwan Institute.
More from CNAS
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Technology & National Security
Sharper: China's AI RiseArtificial intelligence has become a strategic priority for Beijing and Washington, yet both countries continue to pursue dramatically different strategies in their bid for gl...
By Charles Horn & Cadence Barker
-
Video
Technology & National Security
UN, Red Cross Call for Rules on Fully Autonomous WeaponsPaul Scharre, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security, joins CNN to discuss the advent of fully autonomous weapons, the dangers of handing over targ...
By Paul Scharre
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Beneath the Surface: Overlooked Cyber Security ThreatsThis article was originally published in War on the Rocks. Cyber security remains a persistent concern for public and private sector organizations alike. Given the potential i...
By Caleb Withers
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Why Empowering Private Companies to Fight Cybercrime Had to HappenThere is no question that the government needs to adapt to the reality of the evolving civilianization of the security environment. It should do so boldly, quickly, but carefu...
By Gary Corn
