Category: semiconductor

US Builds New Critical Minerals Supply Chain to Counter Chinese Rare Earth Monopoly

News Analysis Washington’s recent move to limit semiconductor exports to China has raised concerns that Beijing might retaliate by cutting off rare earth supplies, similar to what it did to Japan in 2010. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (pdf), China has the world’s largest rare earth reserves, accounting for 78 percent of the U.S.’s…


China’s Chip Industry Crippled by Low Output, Closures, New Restrictions

New U.S. restrictions on technology exports are bad news for China’s semiconductor industry. The industry has been struggling for some time, with China’s chip productivity reportedly shrinking for eight straight months in 2022. Meanwhile, a record number of Chinese chip companies are closing, heralding an industry that has dramatically failed to meet expectations. Data released…


Unconditional Support for Ukraine Will Cost the US Dearly

Commentary If you were asked to name the most important critical mineral in existence, what would you name? Maybe bauxite, a sedimentary rock with a high aluminum content; maybe cobalt, a metallic used in the construction of aircraft engines and gas turbines; or maybe lithium, used in the production of electric vehicles and electrical energy…


Report: US Gave China $28 Million Funding for Research

Over $28 million U.S. taxpayer dollars were used to fund research in China. We take a closer look. Chipmaker Micron is planning to build a giant semiconductor factory in New York state. It’s set to be the largest in the United States, complete with up to $100 billion in investment money. The United States and…


US–China Strategic Rivalry Escalates Over Chips, Foreign Businesses Caution Investing in China

The United States has ramped up efforts to deny China access to advanced semiconductors and chipmaking technologies, thus, escalating the U.S.–China strategic competition. Following the passage of the U.S. CHIPS Act, on Sept. 6, the U.S. Department of Commerce released its “Strategy for the CHIPS for America Fund” (pdf), a $50 billion investment to catalyze…


US Picks Team to Oversee $52.7 Billion in Semiconductor Funding

WASHINGTON—The Biden administration on Tuesday named a team of senior advisers to oversee $52.7 billion in government funding to boost semiconductor manufacturing and research. Commerce Department chief economist Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji will serve as White House Coordinator for CHIPS Implementation at the National Economic Council (NEC) and will manage the work of the CHIPS Implementation…


China’s No.3 Offical Visits South Korea Amid Intensified US-China Strategic Rivalry

South Korea is a technological powerhouse and a key part of the global supply chain. It’s now also caught in the intensified strategic rivalry between the United States and China. Both superpowers are wanting the East Asian nation to pick a side. Following many visits from top U.S. officials, Beijing last week sent Li Zhanshu,…


China’s Military Threats to Taiwan Could Disrupt Its Own Semiconductor Supply Chain

Following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in early August, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) threatened to normalize military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. But this action could disrupt China’s own critical supply chain. China is the biggest consumer of semiconductor chips in the world, but its production rate is less than 20…


China-Taiwan Conflict Would Be a ‘Flashpoint’ for Global Financial Markets, Experts Warn

One month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Taiwan, the global financial markets’ concerns over a potential conflict in Asia have faded into the background as inflation and recession continue to dominate headlines. Yet, with heightened geopolitical tensions and various regional developments occurring in recent weeks, market analysts and investors are assessing the potential…


Taiwan Semiconductor Founder Describes CCP’s Poisoning of Humanity as a ‘Zombie Virus’

In a recent public speech, Robert Tsao (Cao Xingcheng), founder of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), the world’s second-largest semiconductor foundry, described the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a sort of “zombie virus” when it erodes humanity, and said its attempts to forcibly unify Taiwan would bring disaster to the world. In an August 8 interview with…