An investigation revealed eight Chinese chip companies allegedly illegally poaching talent and trade secrets in Taiwan, the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday, underscoring a heated global rivalry to develop key technology used in cellphones, vehicles and artificial intelligence.
In a joint investigation launched last month by the Hsinchu, Taipei and New Taipei City prosecutors’ offices, 135 officers under the direction of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau raided 30 locations and questioned 65 people from Aug. 19 to Friday last week, the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement.
The Chinese companies allegedly hid their backgrounds and recruited talent from Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), in an effort to acquire high-end technologies such as semiconductors, it said.
Photo: Tsai Chang-sheng, Taipei Times
The companies were iCommsemi (中國深圳市南方硅谷半導體), Shanghai New Vision Microelectronics Co (上海新相微電子), NJAVC (南京齊芯半導體), Emotibot Technologies Ltd (中國竹間智能科技上海), Tongfang Co (同方), ACTT (成都銳成芯微科技), Naura Technology Group Co (中國北方華創微電子裝備) and Hestia Power Inc (中國上海瀚薪科技), prosecutors said.
Naura, which supplies China’s biggest chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (中芯), allegedly illegally recruited engineers who worked on chip-related equipment, they said.
The Beijing-based company said in a statement to Bloomberg News that its office in Taiwan “was set up in accordance with local laws and regulations and there is no poaching.”
Hestia Power allegedly moved capital to Taiwan by setting up shell companies in third countries with funding from a sub-fund of the of the Chinese Ministry of Finance’s China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund, prosecutors said.
Tongfang — owned by China National Nuclear Corp (中國核工業集團), a Chinese state-run enterprise that oversees military nuclear programs, information technology, and energy and environmental projects — allegedly disguised its source of funding by setting up a Taiwanese company that recruited a research team of nearly 100 people, in an attempt to acquire technology, they said.
ACTT, a supplier of IC patents and product design, allegedly attempted to cover up its illegal business in Taiwan by telling its staff to register their health insurance at trade unions or district offices, they said.
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
RSS