US, three Asian partners discussed chip supply chain: Reports

The US and three Asian partners with major semiconductor industries held the first meeting among their senior officials earlier this month to discuss the global chip supply chain, according to South Korean and Taiwanese media reports.

Senior officials from the so-called Chip 4 grouping of the US, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan on February 16 discussed ways to maintain the resiliency of the global chip supply chain, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency and South Korea’s Yonhap News reported. The meeting was hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy in Taipei, Yonhap said.

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The meeting focused on setting up an early warning system to avoid future supply disruptions, a Taiwanese economic ministry official, who was not identified by name, told the CNA. The US decided on a theme of “early warning, mutual reminder”s for the meeting, to which Japan and South Korea responded positively, according to the CNA report.

The officials did not discuss US export restrictions on Chinese chips, Yonhap quoted a South Korean government official it didn’t name as saying.

The Biden administration issued sweeping new rules in October that include restrictions on the supply of US manufacturers’ most advanced chipmaking equipment to Chinese customers and limits on Americans working for Chinese semiconductor firms, a move aimed at choking off access to certain expertise.

China, which is the top trading partner with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, has said the US effort showed its “selfish hegemonic interest.” The US has secured an agreement with the Netherlands and Japan to restrict exports of some advanced chipmaking machinery to China.

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