TOKYO, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Japan is slated to encourage domestic companies to cooperate with foreign manufacturers of semiconductors amid a global computer chip shortage, the Japanese government said on Friday.
Industry Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama described semiconductor and other digital industries as an "indispensable foundation for the people's lives."
"We will tackle (the issue) as a national project that will go beyond supporting private businesses or a single sector," Kajiyama told a news conference.
The government will encourage cross-border cooperation from foreign firms to build factories in Japan to boost output capabilities, he said.
"As for semiconductors, we'd like to plan on a major policy shift, based on the reflection of the lost 30 years (when Japan's presence in the industry weakened) and a recent geopolitical change," the minister said.
The Japanese government's new strategy on enhancing the development and production of semiconductors will also include "considering the crafting of a system that involves special measures exceeding regular industry policies."
The chip shortage amid the COVID-19 pandemic has started affecting the Japanese automakers' production including Subaru and Nissan Motor, and also game console makers Sony Group and Nintendo.
Japan's share in the chip industry has decreased amid fierce competition, with its global share accounting for 50 percent in the latter half of the 1980s and sinking to around 10 percent in recent years. Enditem
