Biden likely to visit Japan chip plant in May

Biden, along with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida will visit the plant run by Micron Technology Inc.’s Japanese unit as a sign of their deepening industry ties…reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden may visit a state-of-the-art semiconductor factory run by a US chip firm in western Japan during the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May, said diplomatic sources quoted by Kyodo News.

The G-7 group consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union. Biden, along with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida will visit the plant run by Micron Technology Inc.’s Japanese unit, according to the sources, as a sign of their deepening bilateral collaboration in the semiconductor industry.

The US government is offering huge subsidies to develop the domestic chip business because it views it as crucial to national security and as giving the US an advantage over China.

Washington, which aims to create resilient semiconductor supply chains with Japan and its other allies, recently unveiled broad export controls on some cutting-edge chips in October that could be used by Beijing to power advanced military and surveillance applications as well as train artificial intelligence systems.

Advanced memory chips are now being mass-produced at the Micron Memory Japan KK factory in Hiroshima Prefecture, which will receive subsidies from the Japanese government. Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, said it is a significant investment in the stability and security of both nations’ economies.

The Japanese government has also opted to subsidise capital expenditures for production in Japan by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Tokyo-based Kioxia Corp. by up to 46.4 billion yen ($349 million), reported Kyodo News.

With worries about Beijing’s expanding military and economic might, Washington and Tokyo have been preparing to secure supply chains for cutting-edge semiconductors, a crucial strategic resource in terms of national security.

At the request of Washington, major chip-making equipment producers from Japan and the Netherlands are anticipated to restrict their shipments of advanced semiconductor technology to China.

At the G-7 three-day summit beginning on May 19, leaders will hold discussions on the agenda of economic security.

According to the sources, mentioned by Kyodo News, arrangements are being made for Kishida, who will preside over the summit, to have private meetings with Biden and the other G-7 leaders before the summit. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Japan mulls initiatives to combat birthrate decline