US-Japan Semiconductor Cooperation 'Emerging'... US Vice President Visiting Japan to Meet Japanese Companies

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is visiting Japan to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is reported to meet with semiconductor industry representatives in Japan on the 28th. As the United States and Japan strengthen semiconductor cooperation, Intel, a leading U.S. semiconductor company, also announced that it is exploring ways to collaborate with Japan.

Major foreign media outlets, citing U.S. government officials, reported that Vice President Harris is scheduled to meet with semiconductor industry leaders in Japan on this day. At least 13 company heads, including Sanken Electric, Tokyo Electron, Hitachi, Fujitsu, and Nikon, are expected to attend.

Vice President Harris is anticipated to discuss the Semiconductor Support Act, which the U.S. created to secure semiconductor dominance while countering China. She is also expected to emphasize the advantages of establishing multiple production hubs rather than concentrating all manufacturing facilities in one low-cost country like China.

Harris’s remarks come amid the strengthening semiconductor cooperation between the U.S. and Japan. In July, the foreign and commerce ministers of both countries held an "Economic 2+2" meeting and agreed to collaborate on next-generation semiconductor development. To this end, the two countries plan to establish a joint next-generation semiconductor research center in Japan within the year and aim to commercialize 2-nanometer (nm; 1 nm is one-billionth of a meter) process technology in Japan by 2025.

In this context, Intel expressed that there are opportunities to partner with the Japanese government regarding semiconductor strategy. Bruce Andrews, Intel’s Vice President in charge of government affairs, said in an interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun published the previous day, "While I cannot specify the exact form of partnership, we are exploring opportunities and methods to collaborate with Japanese partners and can utilize programs run by the Japanese government."

Andrews mentioned that Intel is in the process of acquiring Tower Semiconductor, which has a production base in Japan, since February, emphasizing, "Intel has had an office in Japan since 1971 and maintains close relationships with semiconductor device and material companies, but once the Tower Semiconductor acquisition is completed, it will have its first manufacturing base in Japan." He also evaluated the cooperation following the U.S.-Japan 2+2 meeting as highly successful, adding, "Government-level relations between the two countries will become increasingly important to build a strong supply chain."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.