Chipmaker UMC pleads guilty to trade secret theft, China’s bid to steal propriety chip designs unravelled

In a significant development United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) stated, it has pleaded guilty to trade secret theft in the United States, and will be paying a fine of $60 million and will cooperate with the prosecution of China’s Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co Ltd. Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had indicted…

Semiconductor ties between Taiwan and China comes under scrutiny

The development is likely to make a significant dent in China’s ambition to become a global player in the semiconductor industry. The decision by the United States to cut off U.S. supplies to a Chinese chip-maker underscores growing tensions between the two countries over China’s ambition to become a global player in the computer chip…