The world is going through an unprecedented chip shortage, Zhou Zixue, a senior official with the China Semiconductor Industry Association, said on Wednesday, after semiconductor sales grew 18 percent last year.

"If you are an experienced player, you will remember that in 1999 there was a similar crisis in this industry, but it was way smaller," Zhou, chairperson of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), said in remarks at Semicon China...