> I also read on forums that Chinese entrepreneurs buy all the chips and stockpile them. Is this some new kind of war?

I suspect it isn't just the Chinese speculating right now.

I do suspect that the Chinese are probably the only place in the world that had rolls of random semiconductors tucked away in various factories not being used. So, some of these are genuine--most are probably fake. Caveat emptor.

However, I'm am totally down with everybody who depends on Always Late Inventory(tm) getting a rude awakening. The problem is that the lesson won't stick.