Chinese companies are trying to cut Taiwan’s lead in semiconductor technology by hiring away its best engineering talent through ‘front’ companies that hide their connections to China, the Taiwanese Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) has alleged.
In a dramatic crackdown on the practice last week, MJIB said its agents raided 11 Chinese companies in 34 locations, questioning 90 individuals in connection with what it described as an “illegal poaching” campaign.
According to an MJIB statement, several Chinese companies had set up companies that looked as if they were Taiwanese, foreign-owned, or overseas Chinese, using tactics designed to hide their connections to the mainland.