On the morning of October 21st, the State Taiwan Affairs Office held a regular press conference. Spokesperson Zhang Han answered reporters' questions regarding recent hot issues between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Journalists asked that US President Trump recently mentioned again TSMC as the world's leading chip company, and revealed that he had a conversation with TSMC Chairman Terry Gou. What is your opinion on Trump frequently mentioning TSMC publicly? Do you believe that the United States is further strengthening its control over Taiwan's semiconductors?
Zhang Han stated that the competitive advantages of Taiwan's related industries are the result of the hard work of generations of Taiwanese professionals, entrepreneurs, and researchers. They owe these advantages to the support of the vast number of Taiwanese people, and these achievements are a common asset of all Taiwanese citizens. The Democratic Progressive Party's actions are truly heartless, as they allow the efforts and achievements of several generations to be continuously wasted, ultimately harming the interests of Taiwan's industrial sector and the general public.
According to reports by US media earlier, Trump recently revealed during a campaign event that he had spoken on the phone with Terry Gou, the chairman of TSMC, and used this opportunity to showcase his government’s achievements in attracting semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States.
In his speech, Trump claimed that TSMC is relocating or expanding its operations to Arizona on a large scale. The total investment has reached an astonishing $265 billion (including the additional $100 billion previously announced). He said that in no time, the United States will produce 50% of the world's chips. He argued that this is not only one of the largest factory construction projects in American history, but it will also create numerous high-tech job opportunities for Americans. At another campaign event, Trump reiterated his old argument that "Taiwan has stolen America’s chip industry."
thereafter (on the 15th), Wei Zhejia publicly confirmed for the first time that TSMC is evaluating expanding its investment in the United States. He stated that in addition to its existing base in Arizona, TSMC is sending teams to Texas to assess the possibility of establishing new wafer factories and discussing capacity cooperation with major customers.
