Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) on Saturday returned from Japan, where she held talks on bilateral cooperation, including on semiconductors and electric vehicles (EVs), the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
Wang arrived in Japan on Aug. 28 to witness the signing of a semiconductor supply chain partnership memorandum of understanding between the Taiwan-Japan Industrial Collaboration Promotion Office and Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture.
The office and the prefecture would also collaborate on cross-field innovation development, the ministry said.
Photo: CNA
Japanese semiconductor production material and equipment suppliers have been keen to invest in Taiwan, it said, citing a plan by Sumco Corp, the second-largest silicon wafer maker in the world, and Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團).
The two companies have agreed to invest NT$28.2 billion (US$921.93 million) on a 12-inch silicon wafer plant in Yunlin County’s Mailiao Township (麥寮). Production is scheduled to start in 2024.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and two Japanese firms also plan to build a fab, which is scheduled to start mass production in 2024, the ministry said.
The fab would manufacture specialty chips using TSMC’s mature 22-nanometer and 28-nanometer technologies.
Taiwan leads its peers in the development of high-end semiconductor technologies, and if Japan’s semiconductor production material and equipment suppliers continue to cooperate with Taiwan, the two countries could bolster their competitive edge in the global market, Wang said in a statement.
To boost bilateral ties, Wang visited the Japan Business Federation, a major business group, and several enterprises, including Sumco, Canon Inc, power supplier Jera Co, Mitsui Chemicals Inc, Panasonic Corp and IT solution provider NEC Corp.
Asked by the Japanese firms about a talent shortage in Taiwan, Wang promised to expand talent exchanges and training between Taiwan and Japan to ensure that the semiconductor supply chain is more resilient.
Taiwan excels in IC design, as well as electronics hardware and software development with respect to intellectual property rights, Wang said.
It can also respond promptly to sudden market changes, enabling the nation to produce critical components for EV use, she said.
Taiwan and Japan could aim for a larger share of the global smart EV market through cooperation in automotive electronics, smart cabins and 5G and the Internet of Vehicles connections, she added.
Wang is also eyeing business opportunities in carbon reduction amid the government’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050, the ministry said.
During her visit, she explored the use of hydrogen power to reduce thermal power generation and cut carbon emissions in Taiwan.
The promotion office was established by the ministry in March last year to accelerate the pace of industrial cooperation between Taipei and Tokyo.
Japan and Taiwan have since bolstered their cooperation in semiconductor development, the ministry said.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
EASING ANXIETY: The new guide includes a section encouraging people to discuss the threat of war with their children and teach them how to recognize disinformation The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios. The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war. Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios. It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in
RSS