Amid the United States' effort to form a united ally in the current chip war in China, Japan signaled its interest in joining and reinforcing its coordination. The country also looks forward to working with Washington to develop dual-use technologies, as they face military challenges following tensions with the Taiwan Strait.
(Photo : KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images)
Employees of Japan's microprocessor maker Renesas Electronics work at the company's Naka wafer fabrication factory in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki prefecture on June 10, 2011. Renesas Electronics, a key microprocessor maker, said June 10 it would restore supply capacity to pre-March 11 earthquake levels by late September, a month earlier than planned.
Employees of Japan's microprocessor maker Renesas Electronics work at the company's Naka wafer fabrication factory in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki prefecture on June 10, 2011. Renesas Electronics, a key microprocessor maker, said June 10 it would restore supply capacity to pre-March 11 earthquake levels by late September, a month earlier than planned.
Reinforcing Coordination
Japanese officials signaled their interest to join the United States in a chip ban against China, as per South China Morning Post's report.
Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura stated during his remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, it is imperative for them to reinforce their cooperation.
Nishimura added that the country's interest in working more closely with Washington to develop dual-use technologies, as they face military challenges with the Taiwan Strait after the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island last August.
"We will implement strict export control grounded in international cooperation while engaging closely in exchanges of views with the United States and other relevant countries," he said. This is the latest signal from a Japanese official for the country to join the alliances that the United States is forming.
Reuters reported that United States President Joe Biden and his administration made sweeping updates regarding export controls last October, as an effort to inhibit the ability of Beijing to acquire high-end chip technology and equipment in the country. US citizens were also blocked from working for certain companies.
Key Allies
The key allies of the country are Japan and the Netherlands, which critics argued as Washington's dependent on its success. Bloomberg reported that both countries have come to an agreement in principle to an alliance with the United States to strengthen restrictions over the export of advanced chip-making machinery to China.
Suppliers that the US ruled to restrict the supply are Applied Materials Inc., Lam Research Corp., and KLA Corp. Meanwhile, Japanese and Dutch suppliers that the US needed to make the sanctions effective are Tokyo Electron Ltd. and ASML Holding NV.
Also Read: China's Chip Imports Decline as Tech War With US Continues
Nishimura does not see any benefits of being over-reliant on other countries, especially to major tech supplies that are indispensable for their industries and daily lives.
He also stated the danger of being reliant on only one specific country after experiencing the global effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He believed that "building up our economic security is a matter of great urgency."
In order for this to happen, the Japanese official stated that Japan and the United States should join forces to make global technology innovation more powerful, specifically for semiconductors, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies.
Netherlands and Japan agreed in 2022 to advance their efforts to foster supply-chain resilience.
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