"In semiconductors alone, no Chinese firm ranks No. 1 globally. They are always followers or underdogs," said Phil S. Lee, executive director at Mirae Asset Global Investments' Hong Kong office. "But we must note that there are many companies positioned as 'at least No. 2' across every segment of the supply chain, from fabless design and foundries to packaging." Lee described the recent leap of China's semiconductor industry as positioned across the entire supply chain in an interview with the Hankook Ilbo on Wednesday. China's top DRAM maker went public on July 27, and concerns grew over a potential crisis for the three leading memory-chip producers of Korea and the United States: Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Micron Technology. "Across all manufacturing processes, China trails by at least two generations, and because it lacks extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, closing the gap with the top three in the short term remains unlikely," he said. "In semiconductors, China's goal is not to catch up with the top companies immediately, but to prevent the gap from widening fur