A Japanese company, Asahi, sold parts to a Taiwanese company that then sold finished products in the United States. One of the products, claimed to be defective, injured a consumer who sued the Taiwanese company in state court in California. The company settled the case and then sued Asahi in a California state court.
The Taiwanese company contended that the part Asahi had sold it in Taiwan was the cause of the defect in the product. Can the Taiwanese company make Asahi appear in court in California? What constitutional issues would be involved in such a jurisdictional question? [Asahi Metal Industry Co. v. Superior Court of California, 480 U.S. 1026 (1987)]