Taiwan’s spy catchers go after mainland Chinese poachers of chip talent

Probes have been launched into about 100 firms suspected of illegally poaching semiconductor engineers and others, Investigation Bureau official says

Island accounts for 92 per cent of world’s most advanced chip manufacturing capacity, while mainland is trying to achieve self-reliance in semiconductors

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Taiwan possesses what mainland China needs – chip expertise in spades. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:49pm, 8 Apr 2022

Taiwan’s spy catchers have launched probes into around 100 mainland Chinese companies suspected of illegally poaching semiconductor engineers and other tech talent, a senior official at the island’s Investigation Bureau told Reuters.

That comes on top of seven prosecuted since the start of last year and includes 27 which have either been raided or whose owners have been summoned for questioning by the bureau, the official said.

Home to industry giant TSMC and accounting for 92 per cent of the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing capacity, Taiwan possesses what mainland China needs – chip expertise in spades.

A global chip shortage and Beijing’s avowed goal of achieving self-reliance in advanced chips – more forcefully promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping after a trade war with the former Donald Trump administration – has only intensified the scramble for engineering talent.

Taiwan responded with the creation in December 2020 of a task force within the justice ministry’s Investigation Bureau – its main spy-catching organisation – to tackle poaching.

Cases where it has taken action with raids or questioning represented “the tip of the iceberg”, the official said, asking to remain anonymous so that investigations are not impeded.

The Investigation Bureau said the official’s comments represented its views.