TOKYO: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he welcomed and expected more investment from global chipmakers in Japan, which is striving to revive its chip sector, after meeting top executives on Thursday (May 18) before a Group of Seven summit.
China is set to be high on the agenda of the annual G7 leaders meeting that begins on Friday, with the United States increasingly urging its allies to counter the Asian giant’s chip and advanced technology development.
Growing Taiwan and US tensions with China have brought serious challenges to the semiconductor industry, with Taiwan a major producer of chips used in everything from cars and smartphones to fighter jets.
Kishida told the executives, including those from Micron Technology, Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), that stabilising supply chains would be a topic of discussion at the G7 talks in the western city of Hiroshima.
“I am very pleased with your positive attitude towards investment in Japan, and would like the government as a whole to work on further expanding direct investment in Japan and support the semiconductor industry,” Kishida said.