Taiwan and Japan trying to make cooperation on chips

De facto discussions between Taiwan and Japan’s authorities to hold regular talks and agree on cooperation on semiconductors.

Taiwanese lawmakers said that on Friday, ruling parties of Taiwan and Japan agreed to cooperate on semiconductors. They also plan to hold regular talks after the discussions between these two governments.

Although Japan and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, they have close unofficial connections. Also, both countries share concerns about China, primarily after it increased military activities near these two countries.

The discussions about chips took place online and followed initial talks in early September. Two senior lawmakers from Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) attended this event.

Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chiu Chih-Wei told journalists that chips were a security issue in the face of China. He added that it also was an issue for the Japanese industry and the rest of the world, facing semiconductor shortages.

He said that both sides agreed that there would be more cooperation regarding chip supply chains in the future. He added that there would be a complete framework to cooperate with semiconductors and other industries that these two countries consider important for the future.

Overview of the global cooperation on the chips

Japanese officials stated that they agreed with Taiwan that these two countries and the United States needed to cooperate to create resilient supply chains in semiconductors.

A Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, Akimasa Ishikawa, told reporters that they need to do their best to tackle the shortage of semiconductors. He added that the scale of cooperation should expand in the future. He added that in his opinion, one of the significant challenges would be the outcome of the three countries uniting in response to China’s high-tech investments.

Last month, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd) stated it would create a $7 billion chip plant with Sony Group. It is a major Apple supplier producing one of the world’s most advanced semiconductors.