Taiwan prosecutors have filed charges against a former employee at the world’s largest contract chipmaker, alleging that he stole technology with the intention of providing it to a state-owned firm in mainland China.
The case brings to light China’s ambition to acquire semiconductor technology by any means necessary. The chips are essential for making most electronic devices, yet the Chinese regime relies heavily on imported foreign chips, as it has lagged behind in advancing its own domestic technology. When the U.S. government recently announced that it would ban American firms from supplying tech parts to top Chinese smartphone maker, ZTE, the company’s dependence on American chips was laid bare.
