TAIPEI In mid-October, No. 1 Chinese contract chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. appointed Liang Mong-song, a Taiwanese chip veteran, as its co-chief executive. Analysts and industry insiders say the high-profile move is the latest -- and unlikely to be the last -- instance of China luring Taiwanese experts to help build up its domestic chip capabilities.
Boosting its semiconductor prowess to reduce dependence on foreign technology is a key priority for China, particularly as Washington steps up its efforts to block Chinese acquisitions of Western tech companies, such as Lattice Semiconductor and Aixtron.
