[연합시론] US-China semiconductor hegemony competition… The government and industry must work together to overcome the riots.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Competition between the US and China over the dominance of the semiconductor market is heating up day by day. Semiconductors, referred to as’industrial rice’, have long established themselves as essential components in various industrial fields, but in recent years, they are emerging as an essential element of national security beyond this dimension. As a result, the United States has made a large-scale investment plan to strengthen its own technology and productivity, while also showing a movement to form a’semiconductor alliance’ by attracting other major semiconductor powerhouses. On the 12th, the U.S. White House decided to call up Samsung Electronics and other industry officials to discuss measures against the recent shortage of semiconductors, as well as economic staff as well as national security advisors. For Samsung Electronics, which is negotiating with the US government over incentives regarding the expansion of the Austin, Texas plant, which will be invested in tens of trillion won, the holding of such a meeting itself is bound to come under great pressure.

The semiconductor issue was one of the main agendas at the first meeting of the Korea-US and Japan security offices since the inauguration of the administration of Joe Biden. Although the details of the meeting held on the 2nd (local time) were not disclosed, a high-ranking US official mentioned in a preliminary briefing to the media on the previous day, mentioning the safety of the semiconductor supply chain and cooperation in discussions on upcoming norms and standards. It has been said that the semiconductor issue will be on the agenda. Semiconductors have emerged as security issues no less than intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs because they are essential in all industries ranging from automobiles to home appliances and military equipment as well as IT products such as mobile phones, computers and servers. The shortage of semiconductors spreading in all directions to IT and home appliances, starting with the recent disruption in production of major automakers in the world due to the lack of semiconductors for automobiles, served as an opportunity to awaken the strategic value of semiconductors. The Biden government, which presented the recovery of the semiconductor industry’s leadership as one of its top priorities, announced a massive investment plan of more than $50 billion to foster its own semiconductor industry. At the same time, it is actively promoting inducement of foreign companies with benefits such as taxation.

This movement of the United States is also a response to China’s’semiconductor rollout’. China is making major investments under the goal of raising the semiconductor self-sufficiency rate, which was only 15.7% in 2019, to 70% by 2025. Although it is struggling with a lack of original technology, it is possible to take advantage of the characteristics of the socialist system to steal technology and manpower from advanced semiconductor countries, including Korea, and to support domestic companies’ acquisitions and mergers of foreign companies. China also presented semiconductors as one of the seven key science and technology research items in the draft ’14th Five-Year Plan and Imposing Long-Term Goals until 2035′, which was unveiled at the annual plenary meeting of the National People’s Congress (Non-In University) on the 5th of last month. For security reasons, the US has responded by issue, such as imposing sanctions on SMIC, the largest foundry semiconductor company in China. Taiwan, which is classified as a semiconductor powerhouse along with Korea, is responding quickly to the gestures of the United States. TSMC, Taiwan’s largest semiconductor company, plans to build a $12 billion factory in Phoenix, Arizona, and produce 5-nano chips from 2024. As the competition for semiconductor hegemony between the United States and China intensifies, there is a concern that third countries, including Korea, will face a situation where they are forced to choose an alternative among the United States and China.

It is clear that the’semiconductor war’ between the US and China will be a risk factor for Korean companies. If the U.S., which is the birthplace of the semiconductor industry and still possesses numerous source technologies, and whose national and technological prowess is unmatched, and attempts to regain the leadership of the semiconductor industry, there is a strong possibility that the competitiveness of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will be threatened Do. In addition, if the US even demands to join the’semiconductor anti-China alliance’, the difficulties could be aggravated. China’s efforts to foster the semiconductor industry are also threatening, but it is hard to imagine that it will turn China, the largest trading partner, into an enemy. However, even in the midst of a cataclysm, if we are faithful to the basics such as human resource development and technology development and can be trusted by both parties in the dispute, the crisis of the war for semiconductor hegemony can be used as an opportunity for another leap. To do this, the government and industry must communicate and cooperate closely as one body. Wisdom to gain profits through balance is a virtue that is desperately needed not only in diplomacy and security, but also in the economy.

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2021/04/04 11:36 sent