SHANGHAI (Reuters – China’s biggest chipmaker Semiconductor manufacturing International Corp announced today that the vice-chairman of its board has resigned. This was less than a full year after he had assumed his role.

Chiang was a Taiwan’s TSMC research director. He joined SMIC in December. To spend more time with his loved ones, the company announced that he was stepping down as vice-chairman and from the board.

Two months earlier, SMIC’s Chairman Zhou Zixue resigned due to health reasons.

Besides Chiang, three other members also resigned from the board, including co-chief executive officer Liang Mong Song who had threatened to quit https://www.reuters.com/article/china-smic-idCNL1N2IW04F in December last year. SMIC stated that he would continue in his executive position.

It said that the resignations did not stem from any disputes with the board. The company also stated that it didn’t expect the changes to have an impact on operations.

SMIC is China’s biggest contract chipmaker and is partially backed partly by the state-affiliated Chip Fund. It is leading China’s efforts to catch up to South Korea, Japan, and the United States when it comes chip technology.

According to SMIC, this company is currently on the U.S. Blacklist. This blacklist denies that it has advanced manufacturing equipment from U.S. sources.

The company was unable to make high-end chips due to the measures, however its financial performance is strong because of an increase in demand and a worldwide chip shortage.

Profit for its third quarter was up 22.6%