Warning that the United States may face joint boycotts from other countries, South Korean lawmakers and former Samsung executives criticize the US chip strategy related to China | technology | sanctions | chips | China | Liang Xiangzi | South Korea | United States
South Korean congressman and former Samsung executive Leung Heung ko recently strongly criticized the US intervention in the global semiconductor industry and urged the US to abandon its current chip strategy towards China. Liang Xiangzi warned that if the United States continues its current policy, it may face joint opposition from more countries.
Liang Xiangzi's Financial Times image
According to the Financial Times, Liang Xiangzi stated in an interview that the measures taken by the United States to curb China's ability to acquire and produce advanced chips may undermine the relationship between the United States and its Asian allies.
Liang Xiangzi said, "If we continue to try to punish other countries and implement the 'America First' policy in an unpredictable way, other countries may form alliances against the United States. The United States is the most powerful country in the world and should consider more the common values of humanity. The practice of using real power as a weapon is not advisable."
As global technology competition intensifies, the United States is constantly upgrading its chip sanctions against China, not only bringing multiple Chinese technology companies and related universities onto the sanctions list, but also working with allies to restrict chip exports to China. The Financial Times analyzed that Liang Xiangzi's strong criticism of US intervention in the global semiconductor industry indicates that South Korea is uneasy about US actions to include Asian allies in the US economic security agenda. In addition, South Korea is also concerned that US measures will provoke strong reactions from China, thereby disrupting the supply chain and affecting corporate profits.
Lee Jae ming, the leader of South Korea's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, has previously accused the South Korean government of being too biased towards the United States and Japan, confronting China and Russia, and causing damage to South Korea's economic and security interests.
Liang Xiangzi said that the relevant policies of the United States have not actually harmed the semiconductor industry in South Korea at present, because the US's sanctions against China will lead to a decrease in the production of related products, thereby causing price increases. But she added, "The more the United States sanctions China, the more China will strive to achieve rapid technological progress and provide more support for this goal. Given China's rich talent and raw material reserves, this will bring a crisis to South Korea." Liang Xiangzi believes that the United States should abandon its current approach of "profiting from shaking and even breaking the global value chain.".
In addition, Liang Xiangzi also admitted that the US technology war against China has indeed bought time for South Korea to develop its own technology. But she believes that due to South Korea's insufficient emphasis on technical talent, the semiconductor industry in South Korea is still in a "very unstable state". To solve this problem, South Korea needs to improve the treatment of technical talents.
