The strategic rivalry between the United States and China is, in essence, a competition centered on semiconductors. Semiconductors constitute the core of their struggle for predominance. Artificial intelligence, robotics, space technologies, and major weapons systems all operate on semiconductor foundations. Consequently, control over the semiconductor supply chain will shape the future of global power. 

The United States is working to restore its manufacturing capacity and consolidate leadership in the semiconductor sector through export controls, equipment restrictions, investment limitations, and the CHIPS Act, while exerting pressure on its allies. China, in turn, regards this confrontation as an unavoidable national challenge and has designated “technological self-reliance” and “semiconductor self-reliance” as central state objectives.

Amid this strategic competition, Korea faces the constraints of being positioned between the two powers. Caught between the pressure of technological alignment and dependence on the Chinese market, Korea must identify pathways to transform risk into opportunity. This book contends that technological superiority and corporate diplomacy offer practical strategies for navigating and overcoming the geopolitical challenges Korea confronts today.

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Byung-chul Lee | The Bom | December 2, 2025