Chip War

August 29, 2022
International affairs analyst Miller (We Shall Be Masters) offers an insightful history of the global competition for control of the silicon chip industry. Chips, also known as semiconductors and integrated circuits, are embedded in every device that requires computing, Miller explains. He delves into the historical links between the U.S. military and Silicon Valley; the nurturing of relations between American companies and chip manufacturers and designers in Asia; and the ascendancy of the Taiwanese semiconductor industry thanks to a former Texas Instruments executive who founded the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., in 1987. Miller also explains how Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution put China’s chip industry far behind its neighbors’, and tracks the rise of Chinese tech giant Huawei thanks to the advice of IBM consultants and technology transfers from such American companies as Qualcomm. Since the early 2000s, China has devoted billions to developing its technological industries through subsidies and the theft of intellectual property, setting the stage for Huawei, a leader in 5G technology, to potentially rival Silicon Valley’s influence by 2030. Miller makes clear that rising tensions between the U.S. and China over Taiwan pose a grave threat to global semiconductor supply chains, and ominously predicts that future wars will be determined by computing power. Well-researched and incisive, this is a noteworthy look at the intersection of technology, economics, and politics.