Semiconductors and the unspoken U.S. tech policy on China, with Paul Triolo

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This week on Sinica, Kaiser chats with Paul Triolo, Senior VP for China and Technology Policy Lead at Dentons Global Advisors ASG, formerly and probably better known still as Albright Stonebridge Group. Paul provides an in-depth overview of todayโ€™s semiconductor landscape, from export control issues, to the unstable equilibrium between U.S., China, and Taiwanโ€™s industries. He walks us through the strategic importance of semiconductors in U.S. national security considerations โ€” and how unintended consequences of our current policies toward China might actually end up undermining U.S. national security.

04:45 โ€“ An overview of semiconductor geopolitics and supply chains

20:33 โ€“ Why the U.S. is cutting China off from advanced semiconductor technologies

27:02 โ€“ The shift in technology export controls from Trump to Biden

32:08 โ€“ The CHIPS Act and subsidies for the semiconductor industry

37:43 โ€“ Deterrence and Taiwanโ€™s semiconductor industry as a โ€œsilicon shieldโ€

46:16 โ€“ Lessons learned from the chip shortage

52:30 โ€“ Why is the U.S lighting a fire to Chinese self-sufficiency efforts?

57:57 โ€“ The implications of Pelosiโ€™s planned visit to Taiwan

A transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com.

Recommendations:

Paul:ย Rob Dunn,ย A Natural History of the Future; and Ryan Hass,ย Stronger: Adapting America’s China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence

Kaiser:ย The Boysย on Amazon Prime