Seeking to appease the TSU's opposition to Taiwanese chipmakers being allowed to invest in China, Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday promised that the government would strictly manage the policy and punish those who break the law.
At a meeting with TSU law-makers and party Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文), the premier also said that the Cabinet would reinforce anti-dumping regulations to prevent imported Chinese-made chips, which are often cheaper, from harming local chipmakers.
In a press release issued yesterday, the TSU's and DPP's legislative caucuses vowed to jointly push for the passage of the proposed national technology protection law (
Huang, in return, offered to cancel his party's plan to boycott a report Yu was expected to deliver to the legislature next Tuesday at the start of the new legislative session.
An inter-ministerial review committee gave preliminarily approval on Jan. 22 to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TSMC) application to invest in an 8-inch wafer fabrication plant in China.
TSMC is the country's largest chipmaker.
To gain permission, the company's US$898 million project has to pass another review by the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Investment Commission.
According to Yu, the review may take more than a year.
The TSU had demanded that the Cabinet delay approval until TSMC's 12-inch wafer manufacturing domestically reaches mass production and the technology protection law is passed.
To that end, the party suggested that the government spend more time on the research and development of the 12-inch wafers.
Yu said yesterday that the government had never relaxed its standards, agreeing that the Cabinet would fortify management and chastise 8-inch chipmakers that illegally invest in China.
Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu (
Yu said the Ministry of Economic Affairs would define what constituted mass production of 12-inch wafers based on market prospects, costs and production value.
Last month, the ministry levied fines on Taiwanese investors in the Shanghai-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp and Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.
Another Taiwanese chipmaker, United Microelectronics Corp, is still being investigated in connection with its reported investments in China.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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