Chip War by Chris Miller Summary

Chip War examines the geopolitical battle over semiconductor technology, tracing its evolution from Cold War-era military applications to modern US-China tensions. Chris Miller highlights how microchips became foundational to economic and military power, with China’s reliance on imported chips surpassing its oil expenditures. The book won the 2022 Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award and explores supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly Taiwan’s pivotal role in chip manufacturing.

This book is essential for policymakers, tech professionals, and anyone interested in global economics or geopolitics. Business leaders analyzing supply chain risks and readers curious about US-China tech competition will find actionable insights. Miller’s clear storytelling makes complex industry dynamics accessible to general audiences.

Yes—Chip War is praised as a “nonfiction thriller” (The New York Times) and “the most comprehensive book on microchip geopolitics” (Global Policy). Its blend of historical context, technical analysis, and geopolitical foresight offers critical insights into a resource shaping modern warfare, AI, and global trade.

Key themes include:

• Semiconductors as the “new oil” underpinning economic and military power.
• US dominance in chip design vs. Asia’s manufacturing control, highlighting Taiwan’s TSMC.
• China’s vulnerability due to reliance on foreign chips and its $300B+ annual imports.
• The CHIPS Act’s role in revitalizing US production and countering China’s ambitions.

• Global supply chains: Over 90% of advanced chips are made in Taiwan.
• Cold War impact: US chip superiority neutralized Soviet precision-guided weapons.
• China’s strategy: Massive state investments to achieve chip self-sufficiency by 2030.
• US response: Export controls and alliances to limit China’s access to cutting-edge tech.

Chris Miller is a Tufts University professor and geopolitical strategist advising firms like McKinsey. He holds a PhD from Yale and authored books on Russian economics, including Putinomics and We Shall Be Masters. His expertise in tech policy and Cold War history underpins Chip War’s analysis.

Taiwan’s TSMC produces 90% of the world’s advanced chips, making it a linchpin in global tech. Miller warns that a Chinese invasion or blockade could cripple industries reliant on TSMC, from smartphones to defense systems. This concentration of manufacturing creates what he calls “weaponized interdependence”.

The US leads chip design but relies on Asian manufacturing, while China spends more on chip imports than oil. Miller critiques China’s inefficient state subsidies but warns its $150B investment drive could disrupt US dominance. Recent US export controls aim to slow China’s progress, though their long-term efficacy remains unproven.

Some reviewers note the book was finalized before 2023 US export controls, leaving their impact on China’s chip ambitions unexamined. Others argue it overstates US vulnerability while underestimating China’s innovative capacity. However, most praise its thorough research and narrative clarity.

Miller credits US chip-enabled precision weapons with rendering Soviet military tech obsolete, a key factor in ending the Cold War. This historical parallel underscores why controlling chip technology remains critical for 21st-century superpowers.

• “Microchips are the new oil”.
• “The semiconductor industry is the only manufacturing sector where Taiwan is the global leader”.
• “China’s chip spending exceeds its oil imports”.
• The New York Times dubbed it “pulse-quickening…a nonfiction thriller”.

Unlike technical guides, Chip War focuses on semiconductor geopolitics, offering a narrative akin to The Prize for microchips. It complements The Code by Margaret O’Mara but emphasizes current US-China rivalry over historical Silicon Valley dynamics.

With the US CHIPS Act fueling domestic production and China circumventing export bans via third countries, Miller’s analysis remains urgent. The book’s 2023 update covers AI chip restrictions and multinational alliances, making it a primer on ongoing tech wars.