Under a shattered crescent hangar at Ukraine’s Gostomel Airport, the world’s largest plane lies buckled and broken, an immovable monument to the battle Russia waged to take this foothold towards the capital, Kyiv. The Antonov An-225 Mriya – a cargo-lift plane with an 88-metre (290-feet) wingspan that is the largest of any aircraft in operational service – has been mauled by blasts. “Mriya” – meaning “dream” in Ukrainian – was once printed on the nose. The name is now lost in a mass of scorched metal scraps and abandoned ammunition. The plane was once a source of national pride but it was sacrificed in the fight to keep Russian troops outside the city gates. “We are talking with a destroyed ‘Dream’ as a backdrop,” said interior minister Denys Monastyrsky, standing before the crippled giant striped with the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag. “It’s emotionally difficult because I was here with my team two days before the war started,” he said. “It was intact then.”
On the doorstep of Kyiv, Gostomel Airport was where Russia hoped to stage a decisive victory over Ukraine. One day after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on February 24, the Kremlin claimed to have seized the hub, allowing them to airlift armaments to the cusp of the capital. However, Ukrainian forces fiercely contested the area. It was in Gostomel and the surrounding Kyiv suburbs where Russia’s advance from the north faltered, then failed. “The initial idea was that cargo planes with paratroopers and vehicles would land here and it should’ve been an entrance point to Kyiv,” said Monastyrsky. He estimates that “thousands” of paratroopers were deployed to Gostomel in wave after wave, commanded to bring the landing strip under Russian control. “They didn’t manage to accomplish this task,” he said, touring the complex in pixelated camouflage uniform. “We are confident that it won’t be possible to achieve now too.” Last week, Putin cancelled his Kyiv offensive, pulling troops back into Belarus. It is anticipated they are regrouping for a fresh assault on Ukraine’s eastern flank. It has been reported the “Dream” was destroyed on the fourth day of combat. All around the airport is evidence of the deadly contest which took place over the last month. There are tatters of drab clothing, dislocated tank tracks and other unrecognizable vehicle parts. At least one undetonated grenade is visible, concealed among the desiccated remnants of military hardware which jangles underfoot. Daggered into the tarmac of one road approaching from the south is the body of an unexploded missile. Other unspent rounds of heavy ammunition the size of fireplace logs are piled in one spot next to a crumpled road sign reading: “Danger”. Two soldiers pick across the debris towards the open taxiway. They carry rifles slung across their backs and brooms in their hands – a comic image and an optimistic gesture among all this debris of chaos.
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The “Belt and Road Initiative” was announced by the Chinese government in 2013 as a global trade strategy based on the ancient Silk Road trading route. It aims to develop a new Silk Road economic belt and 21st century maritime Silk Road by promoting economic cooperation across Asia, Africa and Europe. The initiative combines new and older projects and includes improved soft and hard infrastructure, and even cultural ties. The plan was announced in 2013 and the first project start in 2019 and then whole plan should be finalized in 2049. MEASURING SENTIMENT China is providing massive financing to participating countries, which currently officially number 66, for the development of infrastructure. Many of the recipients are developing countries which see China’s plan as an opportunity to boost their local economies. There is no firm evidence to date of how successful these projects have been in fulfilling the expectations of participating belt and road countries, but there are concerns that some projects lack regulation and coordination with existing markets. Critics of the belt and road scheme believe it represents a risk for participating countries that they will be left with unprofitable, unnecessary infrastructure. One of the biggest global concerns is that developing countries will be left with a debt burden to China which they will be unable to meet. The Brussels-based think tank Bruegel set out to gauge perception of the belt and road scheme among participating and non-participating countries. Using the Global Database of Events, Language and Tone, Bruegel conducted an analysis of broadcast, online and printed news from 132 countries between May 1, 2017 and April 25, 2018. Generally, the study found the belt and road scheme to be well perceived, with no significant gap between those countries participating and those which do not. Bruegel also used its dataset of media articles to identify the topics most frequently associated with the belt and road scheme, as well as how discussion of them affects perceptions of the scheme in different countries. “Trade” and “investment” were the two key topics identified and it appears from Bruegel’s analysis that frequent use of “trade” in media coverage in relation to the belt and road scheme leads to more negative perceptions. Reaction to “investment” as a belt and road topic was less clear, as Bruegel found it statistically irrelevant in countries’ perceptions of the belt and road plan. METHODOLOGY The tone of media coverage about the belt and road scheme in specific articles published in a country was calculated and the result was then aggregated with the average sentiment at country level, to build a scale, from the highest positive sentiment, 4.98 points (Botswana) to the lowest -2.8 (the Maldives). Also included in this visual analysis is an index of Operational Risk, developed by The Economist, which uses 10 criteria to quantify the risk to business profitability, based on present conditions and expectations for the median term. Among the criteria are: security, political stability, government effectiveness, foreign trade, the legal and regulatory environment, measured by a score from 0 to 100. Combined, the measurements of sentiment and operational risk in each country help to provide an understanding of the current scenario for the belt and road programme. DEBT SUSTAINABILITY Under the belt and road programme China provides loans to participating countries to develop their infrastructure. In a developing economy, infrastructure is the main engine and guarantee of growth but, when a country incurs too much debt without sufficient economic growth, the impact can be negative on people and the economy, as domestic spending on welfare and social services may be sacrificed to service the debt. According to a report from the Centre for Global Development, these are the 20 belt and road countries most vulnerable to debt distress: GEO-ECONOMIC VIEWS FROM OTHER NATIONS The great powers each have very different geo-commercial strategies, but all are characterised by an ambition to develop economic expansion plans which include neighbouring countries and, in many cases, other parts of the world. Initiatives include large communication infrastructure projects, diplomacy and closer economic ties and cooperation. Let's take a look at these initiatives that focus on Asia as an important part of their geo-economic vision. RUSSIA
Russia leads the Eurasian Economic Union, integrated together with Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia, and is considering strengthening this group through economic and diplomatic ties with the belt and road plan. Its geo-economic goals include expanding its natural gas pipelines to China. Pete McGee STUTTGART, August 24 -- Elon Musk has talked about making an electric Tesla Van for a while, Volkswagen has teased the return of its iconic bus as an EV. But Mercedes-Benz beat everybody to the punch in this critical segment with the 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQV—an electric van that seats up to eight and runs a claimed range of over 200 miles. At least in Europe. Mercedes-Benz showed off a “concept” version of the EQV previously, but it was rather obviously very close to production-ready. That’s backed up now that we have the real deal just in time for this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The press release only talks about the public charging network services in Europe, so it may be unlikely we’ll be getting this electron-powered van Stateside, but you never know. That said, the EQV has a 90 kWh battery pack centrally mounted under the floor of the van, offering a claimed preliminary range estimate of 405 km, or roughly 250 miles on a single charge. The van is driven by a single motor on the front axle with an output of 150 kw, or 204 horsepower, and 362 nm of torque, or just about 267 lb-ft. On a 110 kw public DC rapid charger, the Mercedes claims the EQV can charge from 10 to 80 percent of its battery capacity in around 45 minutes. On an AC charger, like a standard public parking charger or using the Mercedes-Benz Wallbox Home 11 kW charger that can be installed in your house, the battery should charge in less than 10 hours. The EQV picks up a little bit of the exterior design language of the EQC crossover, and inside it gets some rose gold accent touches and adaptable seating with optional bench seats, which means you can shove up to eight people in this thing. The EQV is nice and acceptable because it’s just an electric version of the regular Mercedes-Benz van, so it’s very practical. EVs do not all need to be fancy! Just zoom around town without contributing to localized pollution! And now it can. In Europe.
Lora Smith LONDON, August 24 -- The world’s first solar farm to power a railway line directly is due to plug into the track near Aldershot, paving the way for solar-powered trains. From Friday, about 100 solar panels at the trackside site will supply renewable electricity to power the signalling and lights on Network Rail’s Wessex route. The 30kW pilot scheme could pave the way for a larger project capable of directly powering the trains that use this route from next year. The solar breakthrough comes as Network Rail plans to spend billions of pounds electrifying rail lines to avoid running trains on diesel. This could help reduce air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and costs. Solar panels are already used to power the operations of train stations, including Blackfriars in central London. But the Aldershot project is the first time a solar array will bypass the electricity grid to plug directly into a railway’s “traction” system. Network Rail hopes to use the scheme, developed by the charity 10:10 Climate Action and Imperial College London, to solar-charge its rail lines across the country. Stuart Kistruck, a director for Network Rail’s Wessex route, said: “We have ambitions to roll this technology out further across the network should this demonstrator project prove successful, so we can deliver a greener, better railway for our passengers and the wider public.” The research team behind the project, called Riding Sunbeams, estimates that solar could power 20% of the Merseyrail network in Liverpool, as well as 15% of commuter routes in Kent, Sussex and Wessex. There is also scope for solar trams in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham, London and Manchester, according to the team. The researchers began work on the plans over two years ago to discover whether bypassing the electricity grid could make solar power a more efficient energy source for trains. Innovate UK awarded the project funding from the Department of Transport after it proved that connecting solar power directly to rail, tube and tram networks could help meet a significant share of their electricity needs. Pete McGee TOKYO, August 23 -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday some 90 percent of around 3,700 vehicles and mobility devices it will provide to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be electrified, as it seeks to showcase its advanced low-emission technology at the world event. Of the total, 1,350 units will be either electric or fuel-cell vehicles that produce no carbon dioxide when running, while the rest will be hybrids and plug-in hybrids powered by electric-gasoline engines, Toyota, a sponsor of the Summer Games, said. With the lineup to be used to transport athletes, officials and spectators to and within venues, Toyota said it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 50 percent compared with when the entire fleet was made up of conventional gasoline and diesel models. The official fleet will include more than a dozen box-shaped autonomous electric vehicles, 500 Mirai, the world's first mass-produced fuel-cell car, 200 cart-like EVs specially designed for the games that can be used by people with impairments, and 300 standing-type mobility devices for use by security and medical staff, Toyota said. Fuel-cell vehicles are powered by electricity generation through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, a green system that Toyota has long been focusing on as a promising future technology. Lora Smith GUAYAQUIL, August 22 -- Looking after the environment is paying off in Ecuador, at least for public transport users in the business hub of Guayaquil. A new scheme aimed at combatting garbage and pollution allows people to exchange recyclable plastic bottles for money to buy bus tickets. The port city, in Ecuador's south-west, is the second-most populous city in the country with 2.7 million inhabitants, but it generates the most waste. Passengers who use the city's bus transit system, Metrovia, are now queueing at a newly installed machine, waiting to unload their plastic bottles for two cents each, which they can spend on public transport. "Imagine: Two cents (a bottle), for 15 bottles you get 30 cents, that's already a Metrovia ticket," said bus passenger Cristian Cardenas. It is proving more profitable than selling the bottles to a recycling centre, Washington Bravo told AFP. The 76-year-old pensioner lives outside Guayaquil, a US$9 (S$12.45) taxi ride into town. He makes the walk once a week, collecting plastic bottles from garbage cans and the streets along his way. Guayaquil produces 4,200 tonnes of waste a day, only 14 per cent of which is recyclable. "The city is full of corruption and dirty. Before it wasn't like this, it was cleaner," he said. Linda Kim KUALA LUMPUR, August 22 -- As many as 20 flights, including by Emirates and ANA Holdings Inc, from Kuala Lumpur International Airport are delayed after check-in and baggage systems were disrupted from Wednesday night (Aug 21). Both the main and the low-cost KLIA2 terminals were affected by disruptions that brought down the flight information display, check-in counters, baggage handling and Wi-Fi connection, airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said in a statement. “Since the disruption, our team has been working round the clock, not only to rectify the situation, but also to minimise the inconvenience caused to passengers. “The disrupted connection has affected several airport systems such as WIFI connection, Flight Information Display System (FIDS), Check-In-Counters, Baggage Handling Systems (BHS),” it said. Malaysia Airports said all relevant airport staff have been deployed to assist passengers on the ground as we expect the situation to continue throughout the day today. It advised passengers to reach the airport at least four hours before their flight departure time and to check with the airlines for the latest flight schedules. The airport operator said it will be issuing further updates on the situation either through its social media platforms or news releases. “Meanwhile, do reach out to our Airport CARE Ambassadors or contact 03-8776 2000 if you require information regarding your flight details,” it said. Linda Kim TOKYO, August 21 -- A bullet train running at a speed of 280 kilometers per hour had a door open during its journey from Sendai in northeastern Japan to Tokyo on Wednesday, but no passengers were injured, its operator East Japan Railway Co. said. The incident in the morning lasted 40 seconds, with the door being completely open at one point, and is a rare occurrence for the Japanese shinkansen known for its safety and punctuality. The problem was caused by a cleaner who forgot to close the car's device that manually opens and closes doors, the train operator said. The conductor of the Hayabusa No. 46 bullet train made an emergency stop inside a tunnel in Shibata, Miyagi Prefecture, after seeing indications the ninth car's door was open. The train resumed its journey 15 minutes later after a checkup. The crew did not notice the cleaner's mistake as the door was closed when the train left Sendai at 10:15 a.m. It is thought to have opened later. Around 340 passengers were aboard the train but nobody was standing near the door. The bullet train arrived at its final destination 19 minutes late. The problem delayed seven shinkansen services up to 28 minutes, affecting around 3,300 passengers. The transport ministry urged JR East, which initially said the door was closed, to prevent a similar incident. Lora Smith ROTTERDAM, August 19 -- The Maastunnel in Rotterdam reopened again in both directions after two years of renovations. During the work, the tunnel was closed in the direction of Rotterdam-Zuid. Since 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning, traffic can fully use the tunnel again, Dutch media reported. The renovation to the tunnel started in July 2017. In the two years that followed, concrete rot was dealt with on the roadways and the floor beneath, and the technology in the tunnel was updated so that it meets the latest safety requirements. The two sides of the tunnel were tackled in turns. One of them always had to be open in a northerly direction, in order to keep the city center and Erasmus MC accessible. The Maastunnel has been connecting the banks of the Nieuwe Maas for some 75 years and is the Netherlands oldest tunnel. The renovations on the tunnel is not yet complete. From December on the Maastunnel will be temporarily closed for pedestrians and cyclists. Lora Smith COPENHAGEN, August 15 -- Shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) on Thursday posted second-quarter profit above expectations and reaffirmed its full-year guidance. But Maersk also warned a trade war between the United States and China could hurt the container sector. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) totalled $1.36 billion (1.13 billion pounds), topping the $1.24 billion forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll. Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, said it still expects EBITDA for the full year to total $5 billion. Linda Kim HONG KONG, August 15 -- The Hong Kong International Airport has successfully handled more than 1,000 flights since the reschedule of flights on Wednesday, after being seriously affected over the past few days by unlawful assemblies. The operation of Hong Kong International Airport returned to normal on Thursday, the Airport Authority Hong Kong said. The airport has successfully handled more than 1,000 flights since the reschedule of flights on Wednesday, the airport authority said. The two previously-closed car parks were reopened on Thursday. The airport's operation had been seriously affected over the past few days by unlawful assemblies, with 979 flights being canceled, chief executive officer of the airport authority Fred Lam told a press conference on Wednesday. The airport authority said on Wednesday that it had obtained an interim injunction to restrain persons from unlawfully and willfully obstructing or interfering with the proper use of Hong Kong International Airport. After the last bunch of demonstrators who stayed overnight in the arriving hall left on Thursday morning, there are no more demonstrators in the terminals. Checkpoints have been set up since Wednesday afternoon at different parts of the airport terminals to implement new security measures. Only airport staff and departing passengers with flight tickets or boarding passes for the coming 24 hours and valid travel documents will be allowed into the terminals. Pete McGee TOKYO, August 14 -- Japan's weather agency said Wednesday that powerful Typhoon Krosa is set to make landfall in the west of the country the following day, warning of potential record rainfall, mudslides and floods. Airlines and railway operators announced reduced services in regions near the storm's path, possibly disrupting millions of travelers returning to major cities following Bon holidays visits to their hometowns. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the typhoon, traveling at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour, had weakened from the day before but could still dump around 1,200 millimeters of rain on some eastern and western areas facing the Pacific. Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. have decided to cancel a total of more than 300 domestic and international flights on Thursday. Low-cost carrier Peach Aviation Ltd. canceled 35 domestic flights on Thursday, as well as 13 international flights departing from and arriving at Tokyo's Haneda airport and Kansai International Airport. West Japan Railway Co. will suspend almost all of its shinkansen bullet train services. Services between Shin-Osaka and Kokura will be canceled, while those between Kokura and Hakata in Kyushu will be significantly reduced, the company said. Central Japan Railway Co., an operator of shinkansen services between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, and Kyushu Railway Co. said they will also cut their bullet train services. Shikoku Railway Co. said it plans to entirely suspend services in its area on the western main island. The season's 10th typhoon with an atmospheric pressure of 965 hectopascals at its center was packing winds of up to 144 kph as of 9 p.m. Wednesday, the agency said. In a valley in Kusu, Oita Prefecture, a group of 18 people including children were stranded following the rise of a river, local officials said. Rescuers headed to the scene where the group was apparently at a barbecue, the officials said, adding there were no reports of injuries. The typhoon is approaching as Japan on Thursday will mark the 74th anniversary of its surrender in World War II, with memorial services including those in Ehime, Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Oita prefectures already canceled. The government will hold an annual ceremony at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, but many relatives of the war dead from the Kyushu and Shikoku regions will be unable to attend the event. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon earlier than scheduled from his hometown in Yamaguchi Prefecture and attended a meeting on the typhoon with ministers at his office. Linda Kim BEIJING, August 12 -- Less than 50 kilometers south of China's capital, there's a massive construction project underway that, once finished, will officially become the world's biggest airport. With the opening currently planned for September 30, 2019, the construction of Daxing Airport in Beijing has cost just shy of $12 billion so far. On completion, the new airport will simply act as a second international airport for Beijing, to relieve existing pressure on Beijing's Capital International Airport. The Chinese government wants the airport to be a magnet for businesses and an attraction for locals as well as travelers. “The airport paves the way for, and guarantees, Beijing’s long-term economic growth,” says Yu Zhanfu, a partner at consulting firm Roland Berger GmbH. Yu says he expects it to boost the city’s role as a connection point for domestic travelers and those flying abroad. Daxing is one of many airport projects under way in Asia, collectively costing more than $100 billion, to accommodate a surge in travel fueled by the region’s rising middle class. The International Air Transport Association forecasts Asia’s travel demand to surpass that of North America and Europe combined by 2037. About two dozen airports are slated to open over the next six years in cities ranging from Beijing to Mumbai, while many existing airports are adding terminals or runways. Daxing will increase Beijing’s capacity for travelers by more than 70% and alleviate congestion at Beijing Capital International Airport, the world’s second-busiest last year with more than 100 million passengers. By year’s end, Shanghai will unveil a $3 billion, 83-gate terminal that will be separate from the airport’s main building. According to Reuters, carriers such as China Southern, China Eastern, and Beijing Capital Airlines will be relocated to the new Daxing airport, while airlines including Air China, Hainan Airlines and Grand China Air will remain at Beijing Capital International Airport. Here's what the huge construction project looks like at the moment. Linda Kim BEIJING, August 11 -- Typhoon Lekima has left 28 people dead and 20 missing as it swept across China's eastern coastal cities, Zhejiang Radio reported on its official micro-blog account. More than one million people in Shanghai and neighboring Zhejiang province have been evacuated due to the storm, which has damaged more than 3,000 homes, China Central Television reported. Lekima, which made landfall in Zhejiang early Saturday morning, has weakened to a strong tropical storm, according to the National Meteorological Center. The center has downgraded Lekima to yellow from orange, and has an orange rainstorm alert. China has a four-tier color-coded system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Lekima forced Shanghai to suspend services on several metro lines, according to the local government's official WeChat account. Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines were among those that announced flight cancellations, and high-speed rail services were affected in multiple cities, according to local media. Shanghai and Hangzhou airports are restoring operations gradually, according to Ctrip's flight tracking data and the local government. Taiwanese airlines cancelled about 520 international and domestic flights, according to local aviation authorities. Emergency units are working to repair roads, water and electricity, Global Times, a tabloid published by the Communist Party's People's Daily, reported on its Weibo account. Mainland China's main financial hub had braced for Lekima after the typhoon ravaged Taiwan and affected Japan. Government offices, schools and businesses, including financial markets, were shut across northern Taiwan last Friday. More than 50,000 homes lost power overnight last Thursday, though electricity was mostly restored by last Friday morning. Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Centre reported at least one death and four injuries in the wake of the storm. At least four people were hurt in Okinawa, while flights and ferries across the southern Japanese islands experienced widespread disruptions, according to a report by the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said Lekima had sustained wind speeds of 184km per hour, with gusts of 227km an hour last Friday morning. Mr Scott Hsieh, a senior meteorologist at CWB, said it was the strongest typhoon in the western Pacific so far this year. Linda Kim SEOUL, August 8 -- Japan has approved export of a high-tech material to South Korea for the first time since imposing tighter curbs last month, but doubled down on political pressure and warned it could broaden restrictions on shipments to its Asian neighbor. The approval and subsequent warning illustrate how Tokyo is upping the ante in the diplomatic row while at the same time is unwilling to unilaterally stop exports to South Korea. The dispute, rooted in their wartime past and exacerbated by the recent tightening of curbs on shipments of three high-tech components, has stoked nationalism and raised trade concerns. Relations between the two United States allies worsened late in 2018 as part of a decades-old dispute over compensation for forced laborers during Japan’s occupation. South Korea has invoked its difficult history with Japan, which colonized the Korean peninsula during World War II. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday (Aug 8) that tighter curbs would undermine Japan’s international credibility and accused Tokyo of using its industrial advantage as a weapon against another country. “The measures so far undermine the trust of the free trade order and the international division of labor,” Mr Moon said. “Even if there are any gains, it will be short-lived. In the end, it is a game without winners, where everyone, including Japan itself, becomes a victim.” The latest export approval followed “strict examination”, Japanese ministers said, cautioning that Tokyo could consider expanding its controls beyond the three high-tech materials. "If improper use of exports are found beyond three high-tech materials, we will implement thorough steps to prevent recurrence including expanding application examination,” Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said. Mr Seko said Japan does not usually announce each export approval but did so this time after South Korea described Japan’s recent curbs as an “embargo” on shipments. South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Tokyo had allowed the export of EUV photo resists, a chemical crucial for Samsung’s advanced contract chip making production. Samsung declined to comment. WHITE LIST Japan has removed South Korea from the “ white list” of countries with fast-track trade status, meaning some exporters may have to go through a lengthy permit application process to ship restricted items to South Korea. That covers a broad range of items, including those applicable to weapons production and machine tools. South Korea was scheduled to take a call on its plan to drop Japan from a similar “white list” of countries on Thursday, but trade ministry officials said the plan had been put off until further discussions. Japanese officials have cited unspecified security reasons for their export curbs. But they have pointed to an erosion of trust after South Korean court rulings last year ordered Japanese firms to compensate wartime forced laborers. Japan says the matter was settled by a 1965 treaty normalizing bilateral ties. Given the curbs in place, Japan’s approval to export the three materials could take up to 90 days, slowing shipments. Shares of Tokyo Ohka Kogyo rose 3.9 per cent and Stella Chemifa surged 10.1 per cent after the latest approval. Tokyo Ohka Kogyo makes photo resists and Stella Chemifa produces hydrogen fluoride, both materials affected by the export curbs. But it remains unclear if the initial approval from Tokyo signals a breakthrough in trade relations. “They approved only one out of a number of items, and they said they would approve exports for pure civilian purposes,” a South Korean senior trade ministry official said. South Korean chipmakers are hitting a dead end in their quest to find alternatives for key Japanese materials that have been hit with export restrictions, raising the prospect of major disruption to their operations in coming months. Of particular concern is sourcing of hydrogen fluouride, a key chipmaking material. South Korean chipmakers have been desperate for Japan’s high-purity hydrogen fluoride because it helps them get high “yield” rates, which is critical to making chips profitably. |
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