Robert Tsao (曹興誠), founder of contract chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC), yesterday pledged to donate NT$3 billion (US$100.17 million) to help Taiwan bolster its defenses as China launched intensive military drills around Taiwan.
Tsao, who gave up his Republic of China (ROC) citizenship to migrate to Singapore in 2011 in part because of lingering dismay over government restrictions on UMC’s ability to invest in China, has recently become a vocal critic of Beijing.
At a news conference in Taipei, the entrepreneur described Chinese maneuvers as “unbearable insolence” and said the donation would be aimed at shoring up Taiwan’s security and defense posture.
Photo: CNA
The funds would support defense education for individuals or groups to help Taiwan resist Beijing’s cognitive and psychological warfare campaigns, and also go toward countering Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cyberattacks and hacking activities against Taiwan, he said.
Tsao said he was still thinking about how the funds would be used, but suggested that the establishment of a foundation could be an option.
In a statement he released separately yesterday, Tsao called the CCP a “hooligan” and a “local ruffian,” and he urged Taiwanese advocating unification with China to “draw a clear line” and keep a distance from the authoritarian regime.
A normal civilized country should value human rights, the rule of law, democracy and freedom, but “the CCP advocates totalitarianism, deceit, hatred and violence,” Tsao said.
“Everyone should understand that I am not doing it [the donation] for the sake of fame or fortune. I’m not interested in politics or elections, either,” he said. “I just hate the CCP’s lies and violence, and hope to leave a piece of pure land and a blue sky in Taiwan for those who speak Chinese.”
Tsao’s attacks against China sharply contrast with his behavior when he ran UMC more than 15 years ago.
He led a team to set up Hejian Technology (Suzhou) Co in China’s Jiangsu Province in 2001, which triggered an investigation by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government at the time led by then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Because of the investment in Hejian, UMC was charged with breach of trust and violation of the Business Entity Accounting Act (商業會計法) in 2005, but was found not guilty in 2010.
Tsao stepped down as chairman of UMC in 2005.
In January 2011, Tsao, who was unhappy with the DPP’s crackdown on UMC’s investment in China, accepted an invitation from the Singaporean government to obtain Singaporean citizenship, giving up his ROC citizenship in the process.
In 2013, UMC took Hejian under its corporate umbrella after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) took office and allowed the company to build an 8-inch wafer fab in China.
Although he is no longer a ROC citizen, Tsao in March said that his two sons remain ROC citizens and would fight the People’s Liberation Army were China to invade Taiwan.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS