In a heated debate on october 19th in the Crisis Security Council, delegates clashed over the most pressing fictional global issues: the semiconductor chip shortage. Said semiconductor chips play an important role in a multitude of fields such as healthcare, the automotive industry and even military machinery. As the shortage became apparent companies worldwide began panic buying and stockpiling the remaining supplies.
The leading producer of semiconductor chips, tsmc, is located in Taiwan which turned out to be the root of conflict in the debate as Taiwan shares a noteworthy piece of history with China. Thus the discussion quickly evolved into a diplomatic maze containing matters of national security and geopolitic disputes.
The chinese representative took to offense. When Slovenia pledged to support and assist Taiwan with chip production also demanding for other nations to follow their example, China chimed in to remind the room that Taiwan is considered part of China also harshly questioning Slovenias motives. The UAE made a bold claim, positioning itself as a future leader in semiconductor production due to its focus on innovation and technology.
The US presented a working paper aimed at unity, but China quickly criticized it for lacking a preambulatory clause, a key UN procedural requirement. The US defended its omission, citing the urgency of the crisis, but was open to incorporating China’s input.
Israel urged swift action, citing the need for chips in defense systems, but China accused Israel of hypocrisy, referencing alleged war crimes. Israel denied the accusations, blaming Hamas. Sweden, meanwhile, supported the USs resolution and highlighted a clause on recycling chips from civilian and state property, which China dismissed as a violation of the UN-Charter. China led the opposition, labeling the resolution a breach of the UN-Charter for referring to Taiwan as an independent entity.
As the session concluded, the semiconductor crisis remained unresolved. While the US and its allies sought immediate action, resistance from China and Mozambique enhanced the growing geopolitical divide. The debate underscored the complexity of resolving the chip shortage and the broader implications for international relations.