American chip giant Intel in December 2021 said it will invest more than $7 billion to build a chip packaging and testing factory in Malaysia, with production expected to begin in 2024. Malaysia holds 13% of the global market for chip packaging, assembly and testing services, said the Malaysian Investment Development Authority in a Feb. 18 report. Exports of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits increased by 0.03% to 387.45 billion Malaysian ringgit ($81.4 billion) in 2023, amid global chip demand weakness. Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association president Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai said many Chinese firms diversified some of their production to Malaysia, calling the country China's "plus one." In the same month, the world's largest contract chip maker TSMC opened its first Japan factory as it diversifies away from Taiwan amid U.S.-China tensions.

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Persons: Faris Hadziq, Kenddrick Chan, Aik Kean Chong, Intel's, Tan, Yinglan Tan, Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai, Zafrul Aziz, TSMC, Ann Lim Organizations: Getty, Malaysia, LSE, London School of Economics, Political, Semiconductors, Intel, CNBC, Infineon, Ventures Partners, Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Malaysian, Malaysia Semiconductor Industry, U.S ., U.S, China -, Partnership Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, South, East Asia, China, U.S, American, Penang, Another U.S, Singapore, Europe, Kong, GlobalFoundries Singapore, Klang, India, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Washington, Asia, China - U.S