Chinese Media: "Is the US That Harasses Korean Semiconductors Really an Ally?"

As the U.S. government requests active participation from Korean companies to counter China's 'semiconductor rise,' Chinese state media has criticized it as an "arrogant bullying act."

Previously, the U.S. government reportedly asked the Korean government to prevent Korean companies from filling the gap if sales of American semiconductors to China were restricted, sparking controversy.

China's state-run Global Times claimed in an editorial published on the 24th that "the U.S. semiconductor ostracism strategy has further narrowed the survival space for Korean companies."

President Joe Biden [Photo by Yonhap News]

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The media pointed out the recent deteriorating performance of domestic memory semiconductor manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, stating, "It is no longer a secret that Korea's semiconductor industry is under great pressure."

It added, "(The poor performance of Korean companies) shows that the market space in the chip manufacturing sector is under pressure from various factors," explaining, "Due to fears of a global economic recession, demand for everything from smartphones to PCs has slumped, causing both the price and demand for memory chips to plummet."

It further noted, "The U.S. attempt to block cooperation in the Korea-China semiconductor industry network may have also worsened the situation for Korean semiconductor companies."

The media asserted, "Korean semiconductor companies are completely under U.S. control," and warned, "Joining the China containment strategy will only lead to a decline in the competitiveness of Korea's semiconductor manufacturing industry."

It also stated, "If Korean semiconductor companies fail to win in technological competition, (Korea) will become a complete U.S. 'vassal,'" and sharply criticized, "What the U.S. is doing to Korean companies is a typical protectionist practice and is never how one treats an ally."

The semiconductor competition between the United States and China is intensifying.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Earlier, on the 23rd, the British financial media Financial Times (FT), citing sources, reported that the U.S. government requested Korea to ensure that Samsung and SK Hynix do not sell the shortfall of DRAM semiconductors to China if China bans sales of U.S. company Micron's semiconductors to China. This report came a day before President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the U.S.

Regarding this, FT evaluated, "While President Yoon was preparing for his state visit to the U.S., the White House made this request to Korea," and added, "The Yoon administration is facing a diplomatic test."

Meanwhile, Micron is a global memory semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in the U.S. It forms a top-three structure in the DRAM sector along with Samsung and SK Hynix.

At the end of last month, China's Cyberspace Administration's Internet Security Review Office announced plans to conduct a "security review" of Micron's products. However, it did not specify which particular semiconductor products produced by Micron would be reviewed.

The U.S. has also placed about 30 companies, including China's memory semiconductor company Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), on its export control list.

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