Introduction
Taiwanese chip-maker United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) has decided to downsize its DRAM project with Chinese government-backed Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit (JHICC) due to tensions with the USA, according to Nikkei Asian Review.
UMC will move around 140 engineers out of the close to 300 DRAM team helping JHICC to other positions and sources say this is the first step toward terminating its memory chip development business.
The Taiwanese company might be afraid that close ties with China could eventually threaten its core contract chip making business, which is heavily dependent on U.S.