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Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

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Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#291

Post by tdeck »

gsf_emergency_6 wrote: post #289
alephnerd wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Usually around now (6am PST), HN tends to be dominated by Western (and some Eastern) European commentators. I've noticed they tend to have a weird mix of orientalist sentiment along with a "Europe should be able to do this too" sentiment (though in a lot of cases, this is moreso sentiment than reality).

Let me contribute my Europeanist sentiment by pointing out that the harmonious design of the fab is pure tatemae. The Japanese professional class care fuckall about PFAS and environmental issues have always been low on the list of priorities. Sorry. I love the Hokkaido produce. https://www.americanchemistry.com/chemistry-in-america/chemi...

It's certainly something to be concerned about. Even the building where MOS Technology made the 6502 (in Norristown PA) is still a contaminated EPA superfund site. It's an industry with very nasty chemicals and a long history of leaking them.

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#292

Post by yourusername »

zer0tonin wrote: post #273
constantcrying wrote: post #75

As a European I have to say I am extremely jealous of a government with the willingness of doing something as radical as this. Europe desperately needs to secure its own semi conductor supply chain. Neither the EU nor any member states seems willing to do anything about this though. Europe still is in a position, where it feasibly could control 100% of the semiconductor value chain on the continent. But besides meani…

The Netherlands has its own semi supply chain, from photolithographs to chip design to printing the actual chips.

I don't think that's right. They make one of the many machines you need for semiconductor manufacturing. The NXP fab in Nijmegen makes simple components on a outdated 140nm+ process with 200mm wafers. Unless there is another fab that is making actual modern chips?

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#293

Post by constantcrying »

sofixa wrote: post #274
constantcrying wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you are saying is just not true. Frances car industry is dying. Renault is a small company, not even in the top 10 and Stellantis is doing extremely poorly, also affecting Italy's car industry. Within a decade or so COMAC will have a competitive passenger plane, seriously threatening Airbus market share. Germany's entire industry is currently dying since it is impossible to have a cost competitive manufacturing…

> Renault is a small company, not even in the top 10 How exactly is that even remotely relevant? They only sell in select markets, and are killing it in them (best selling EV in the EU, Renault 5). What, if it's not a global behemoth dominating the world, it doesn't count as manufacturing? What exactly is your argument here? > Within a decade or so COMAC will have a competitive passenger plane, seriously threatening…

>are killing it in them (best selling EV in the EU, Renault 5). What, if it's not a global behemoth dominating the world, it doesn't count as manufacturing? What exactly is your argument here?

My argument is that China is producing EVs of the same quality for 70% of the cost. European wealth comes from exports.

>This is assuming that the Chinese competition would be allowed to compete on the same terms, which we already know won't happen - both the EU and the US have put in tariffs. And we can see that a low cost Dacia EV is similarly priced to a low cost BYD EV.

Exactly. The European car industry only exists because China is not allowed to compete, this is my point. There is no German/French/Italian car export industry anymore. Who is buying a German or French EV when he could be buying a better car for the same price or the same quality car for a lower price.

The car market for these companies will shrink from the entire world to Europe, surely you can see that this is an existential threat to European manufacturing.

>And we can see that a low cost Dacia EV is similarly priced to a low cost BYD EV.

Yes, this is exactly what I am saying. A BYD EV with 27% tariffs applied is cost competitive to the lowest end Renault Platform. In other words, the only reason Dacia is selling any cars is because BYD is not allowed to compete.

On the topic of aircraft engines. The Chinese have mastered almost every technology the west has, it is delusional to think that they will never make competitive aircraft engines. You are correct, COMAC will take more than a decade to compete with Airbus, but with the current trajectory it is practically inevitable they will catch up.

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#294

Post by inglor_cz »

noduerme wrote: post #253
inglor_cz wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Czechia is the most Jewish-friendly country in the EU, and will likely stay so. Our Jewish community used to be very vibrant and it is sorely missed. We should indeed defend Taiwan, but we (as "the entire EU") seem to be lukewarm even about defending Ukraine which is much closer to us and in a hot war. Some people just prefer sticking their head in the sand. Maybe the Jewish people are better at discerning building-u…

I hope it remains so. I felt an affinity from even before I stepped off the train from Munich. It's a funny story - my passport was examined by German police in the bar car of the train. My passport was not in order and they were radio calling to see whether to haul me back to Munich and detain me. I played for time as the border approached. The bartender was Czech, and he watched all this quietly. As soon as we stop…

"The bartender was Czech, and he watched all this quietly. As soon as we stopped at the last town on the border, the police decided to tell me to have a nice trip, and he took me into the store room on the train, opened the window and poured shots and lit a cigarette for me as we crossed the border and said "fucking Germans. Welcome to Czechia... anything is possible!""

I can almost hear him. That is basically the essence of Czechdom :)

It is interesting how some aspects of culture are essentially the same and others diverge wildly once you cross the border. When it comes to Bier and Schnitzel and snowy Christmas, Czechs are almost indistinguishable from Bavarians. But in other aspects it is just as you saw it, two worlds apart.

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#295

Post by MangoToupe »

decimalenough wrote: post #149
MangoToupe wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taiwan is not distinct from China. Both the ROC and the PRC view Taiwan as part of China (ironically, at the cost of the mass slaughter of taiwanese to in service of the chinese).

"One China" is a political fig leaf that allows both sides to pretend the other country doesn't exist. Back in reality, the Republic of China (Taiwan) is fully independent from the People's Republic of China and fulfills every criteria of nationhood.

Ok, nothing you said contradicts anything I said

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#296

Post by MangoToupe »

noduerme wrote: post #172
MangoToupe wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Taiwan is not distinct from China. Both the ROC and the PRC view Taiwan as part of China (ironically, at the cost of the mass slaughter of taiwanese to in service of the chinese).

From that perspective, the ROC is the legitimate government of Beijing. Facts on the ground appear otherwise, but facts on the ground also imply that Taiwan is not part of the PRC's version of China.

> From that perspective, the ROC is the legitimate government of Beijing.

No. I don't understand how you came to this conclusion. Both governments claim legitimacy and only one has actual sovereignty.

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#297

Post by modo_mario »

tw04 wrote: post #260
mono442 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least European countries excel at introducing new regulations and taxes.

Imagine a government that considers its people more than tools for the wealthy to use and discard as they see fit! So many regulations meant to protect the plebes! Universal healthcare? Vacation time you can actually use? Data privacy laws? What a bunch of losers! Next you’ll tell me they actually give parents time off to raise their kids instead of dumping them into daycare after a month of drudgery and try to call…

>Imagine a government that considers its people more than tools for the wealthy to use and discard as they see fit!

Most European governments are for a long time now pushing migration hard overtly or subversively(since it's unpopular) arguing as if they're importing tools for the economy.

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#298

Post by andsoitis »

riffraff wrote: post #127
inglor_cz wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of our problems (EU citizen here too) is the delusion that because everyone in the world wants access to European markets, everyone will bend their knees to our regulations and we can effectively dictate the world's standards. Given that our market share on the global economy is dropping steadily, this won't hold forever. By 2040 or so it might be more advantageous for Asian producers to just avoid our bureaucrat…

> By 2040 or so it might be more advantageous for Asian producers to just avoid our bureaucratized space altogether. in favour of what? Every other large market (China, India, USA) has extreme protectionism in place.

> > By 2040 or so it might be more advantageous for Asian producers to just avoid our bureaucratized space altogether.

> in favour of what? Every other large market (China, India, USA) has extreme protectionism in place.

The EU has higher tariffs than the US overall, especially for agriculture and cars. Policy is structured and uniform.

The IS has lower tariffs than the EU overall, but often used as political/economic weapon on specific countries and sectors.

The current administration's tactics notwithstanding.

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#299

Post by MangoToupe »

n4r9 wrote: post #163
MangoToupe wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Taiwan intends to violently and militarily resist if it comes to that I sincerely wonder if the people who live there agree. I sure as hell wouldn't put up much fight if china tried to invade my country; just the opposite. If anything I wonder if voluntary unification is on the table in today's climate

> I sincerely wonder if the people who live there agree ... I wonder if voluntary unification is on the table One of the benefits of a free democratic society is that you can ask; and people vote according to their preferences. A recent study suggests ~13% of the public support unification with China: https://www.tpof.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20250214-TPO... . Taiwan's politics are dominated by the KMT and DPP…

> Perhaps you have an unusual opinion?

I live in the US. I think it's pretty obvious the PRC is more competent in every way than our own government is.

And from what I've seen of the ROC parliament, it is also an embarrassment to their own people

Re: Japan's gamble to turn island of Hokkaido into global chip hub

#300

Post by MangoToupe »

noduerme wrote: post #213
n4r9 wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I sincerely wonder if the people who live there agree ... I wonder if voluntary unification is on the table One of the benefits of a free democratic society is that you can ask; and people vote according to their preferences. A recent study suggests ~13% of the public support unification with China: https://www.tpof.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20250214-TPO... . Taiwan's politics are dominated by the KMT and DPP…

>> Perhaps you have an unusual opinion? That or a remarkably flexible sense of morality, coupled with a supine nature and a total lack of balls.

Let's not pretend it's ever moral to support the state you live under. You should support yourself and bide whatever state imposes itself on you.
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