China’s Biggest Chipmaker Unable to Acquire Advanced Chipmaking Equipment and Technology

Amid global chip shortages, China’s largest chipmaker—facing a U.S. blacklist—struggles to acquire advanced chipmaking equipment and technology, and to meet the high global demand, it is rapidly expanding existing production lines but cutting its R&D investment and personnel.

On Sept. 3, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) announced that Zhou Zixue, the company’s chairman, resigned citing personal health reasons. On the same day, SMIC also announced its plans to build a factory in Shanghai to expand its production capacity.