Security News > 2022 > March > Taiwan rounds up 60 Chinese tech workers on suspicion of poaching tech and people

Taiwan's Ministry of Justice has tasked its Investigation Bureau to conduct a series of raids around the island and hauled in 60 Chinese nationals suspected of lifting trade secrets or poaching talent from China-owned firms.

"The Chinese Communist Party has made a large-scale detour to Taiwan through mainland enterprises and poached Taiwan high-tech industry talents with high salaries," explained the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice.

The pandemic-induced global chip shortage combined with socio-political events that include declining China-US relations, sanctions, and ongoing trade conflicts made it harder for Chinese firms to procure chips, to create a local industry to reduce reliance on imports.

Research firms recently predicted the Chinese semiconductor foundry market share to remain flat through 2026, while manufacturers in the US, Taiwan, Korea, and other countries grow.

Taiwan currently claims the world's second largest chip industry by revenue, behind the United States.

Like Taiwan, the United States has also beefed up its national security to fight Chinese chip espionage.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/03/14/taiwan_china_tech_worker_raids/