Any toughts about the mass resignment by SMIC, lads?
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Four directors quit board of China's top chipmaker
China's largest contract chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. on Thursday said
nearly one-third of its board of directors has resigned, effective immediately, in a big reshuffle of high-ranking personnel after it was blacklisted by the U.S. government in late 2020.
The four resignations include Vice Chairman Chiang Shang-yi, the former co-chief operating officer and the longtime research and development chief of its biggest rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. The
, an industry heavyweight, less than a year ago in December 2020 was viewed as a way for SMIC and China to significantly bolster its semiconductor sector.
The company's co-CEO Liang Mong-song also resigned from the board, although the former Samsung and TSMC executive, who joined SMIC in 2017, will remain in his executive role.
China's national chip champion notified investors of the shake-up in a late evening stock exchange filing. All of the men resigning "have been confirmed to not have disagreements with the board," the filing said. The company still has 11 executive, nonexecutive and independent board directors.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange on Thursday night issued a regulatory warning to SMIC, without giving any specific reasons, the stock exchange's website showed.
The personnel turmoil came only two months after SMIC's chairman, Zhou Zixue, resigned from that role. Zhou remains on the board, serving as executive board director, the company's filing showed. The company's chief financial officer is the current interim chairman.
SMIC shoulders China's ambition to one day challenge industry leaders like TSMC, Intel and Samsung. It also plays a crucial role in Beijing's campaign to build a secure, controllable semiconductor supply chain.
The company was
by the U.S. Commerce Department in September last year over alleged links with the Chinese military, which SMIC denies. Companies on the list are restricted from using American technology. The delivery of cutting-edge
from ASML, the biggest European chip equipment maker, was suspended due to Washington's pressure and the Wassenaar Arrangement that requires export permits for dual-use technologies from the Dutch government.
SMIC on Thursday night also said its earnings for the July-to-September quarter surged 25% from the same period last year to $321 million, while its revenue grew 30.7% to hit a record-high of $1.41 billion. Gross margin also hit a record of 33.1%. The unprecedented chip shortage has contributed to the robust earnings. The chipmaker said in a stock exchange filing that it has so far managed to maintain production continuity despite "massive challenges" brought by U.S. blacklisting.
"Looking forward to next year, we think the overall market outlook is still positive. Our capacity will still not be able to fulfill our customers' needs throughout next year," SMIC said in a statement. The Chinese chipmaker will host its earnings briefing on Friday morning.