Japanese leader visits new chip factory, stressing ties with Taiwan and support for key technology

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited a new semiconductor plant for which his government has pledged more than 1 trillion yen ($7 billion) of support to secure a steady supply of chips on Saturday. Kishida expressed his sympathies for the recent earthquake in Taiwan, as he was given a tour of the plant Saturday in the southwestern main island of Kyushu. Japan has recently earmarked about 5 trillion yen to revive its chips industry, seeking to become less dependent on imports in the wake of pandemic-era shortages that affected auto production and other industries for months.