SemiconductorsChip equipment leader expects industry to become pillar of Japan's economyTokyo Electron President and CEO Toshiki Kawai speaks to Nikkei in Tokyo on June 9. (Photo by Hikaru Yagi)TSUBASA SURUGAJune 18, 2026 12:00 JSTTOKYO -- China's push to build a self-sufficient semiconductor industry is creating new competitors for foreign equipment suppliers, but the head of Tokyo Electron says he is confident the Japanese chip toolmaker can maintain its technological edge.