Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家).
Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made overseas.
The plans are in addition to US$65 billion that TSMC has already committed to invest in three foundries in the US, one of which has begun operations.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
TSMC’s achievements have ensured that Taiwan is an integral part of the international community, Lai told the news conference.
The company’s accomplishments are a testament to its ability and a source of fierce pride for all of Taiwan, he said.
Because of TSMC’s investments, humanity’s technological future would be realized, Lai said, adding that this is “TSMC’s moment, Taiwan’s moment and a historic moment in Taiwan-US relations.”
TSMC decided to invest in the US due to increased demand from US clients, Wei said.
The facility operating in the US is fully booked through 2027, including production lines that are still under construction, he added.
The new investment was not made due to US pressure, Wei said.
Commenting on Trump’s call to abolish the CHIPS and Science Act, Wei said that TSMC asked only for fairness and was not afraid of competition.
“We are the best wherever we set up our production lines,” he said. “We are not going for the subsidies.”
The decision to increase investment in the US would not affect the company’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines are expected to be completed this year, Wei added.
Earlier yesterday, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that TSMC would remain Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” as its research centers are still based in Taiwan, making concerns about its expansion to other markets irrelevant.
The primary concern among Taiwanese is how the Monday announcement would affect TSMC’s investments or other projects in Taiwan, Cho said.
The company’s investments abroad would not change the fact that its top research and development center, and its most advanced factories are in Taiwan, he said.
The government has been in close talks with the industry and understands that Taiwan’s small and medium-sized enterprises are also seeking to expand internationally, he said.
The government would collaborate with industrial sectors to help take Taiwanese products to the rest of the world and jointly build supply chains with democratic partners, he said, adding that the efforts would spread the nation’s influence.
The more visible Taiwan is to the world, the safer the world is, Cho added.
The president’s news conference with Wei was aimed at showing that “the government stands with industry,” dispelling attempts to cast doubt on the investment, a person with knowledge of the matter said.
As TSMC has borne the brunt of recent cognitive warfare operations against Taiwan, the government and TSMC held close discussions prior to the announcement of the latest investment to formulate plans and held the news conference upon Wei’s return from the US to directly address the matter, the source said on condition of anonymity.
Additional reporting by CNA
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