A Tale of Two Chipmakers

In 2021, a Chinese-American engineer founded a specialized semiconductor company in Belgium. A year later, a similar company opened in Fuzhou, China — partially owned by the same engineer. Was economic espionage involved?

Reporter Noah Berman is back this episode with news editor Andrew Peaple to discuss the evolving case of chipmakers BelGaN in Belgium and GaNkool in China. Belgian authorities are investigating whether the two companies share more than just a similar name. The investigation comes as European governments are grappling with their own trade and economic policies towards China, and as Beijing continues to seek self-reliance in key technologies like chips.

Read Noah's article: https://www.thewirechina.com/2026/10/04/chips-china-and-trade-secrets-how-an-arrest-in-brussels-could-tie-them-together/

We also feature an excerpt from the upcoming Q&A with author Emily Feng on her new book "Our Hearts Burned for Home: Uyghur Militants in Syria's Civil War," which will be available later this month.

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