Semiconductors, this is how Germany risks dependence on China
The German federal government could clear the acquisition of the semiconductor manufacturer Elmos by its Swedish competitor Silex, which is wholly owned by Chinese Sai Microelectronics. The article by Giuseppe Gagliano
A few days after the Hamburg port affair , the German federal government could authorize the acquisition of the semiconductor manufacturer Elmos by its Swedish competitor Silex, wholly owned by the Chinese Sai Microelectronics. If it becomes effective, this agreement would increase Germany's dependence on China.
The news was revealed on October 27 by the business newspaper Handelsblatt .
The sale of the Dortmund wafer plant – for a net purchase price of around € 85 million – is currently under review by the Ministry of Economy and the final decision on the authorization is expected to be taken in the coming weeks. If it were to validate this operation, the federal government would oppose the opinion of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, one of the German secret services. According to information from Handelsblatt , the latter advised against the authorization of the transaction and stressed the risk of a growing dependence on China in the semiconductor market.
This acquisition is part of Beijing's ambitious strategy to transform China into a leading power in the field of future technologies by 2049, the centennial year of the People's Republic. From this point of view, therefore, the semiconductor sector appears fundamental – a gigantic market, destined to double and which should weigh 1 trillion dollars by 2030 – especially since its main competitor in this field is Taiwan, which represents almost 60 % of world production.
Weakened by the hype about his support for the sale of a terminal in the port of Hamburg to a Chinese company, this revelation certainly does not contribute to the credibility of Chancellor Olaf Scholz who will travel to Beijing in early November. Indeed, it once again raises the question of China's interference in the German economy and its growing dependence on the Middle Kingdom, its main trading partner.
It also endangers the fragile construction of a European strategic independence. In its edition of 11 August 2022, the daily Die Zeit asked itself “How to get out of the clutches of China? ". The German government does not seem to be asking this question .
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/semiconduttori-ecco-come-la-germania-rischia-la-dipendenza-dalla-cina/ on Mon, 31 Oct 2022 07:52:52 +0000.