TSMC Under U.S. Pressure Over China Fab Expansion

[btarunr]

TSMC is under pressure from the U.S. to reconsider its plans to expand its facilities in mainland China, sources close to the matter told DigiTimes. TSMC currently operates a fab near Shanghai, and one in Nanjing, which it had originally planned to expand, meeting resistance from the U.S. It is not known if this is government (diplomatic) pressure or by U.S. based customers of TSMC., but is likely a combination of the two. The same forces were possibly behind getting TSMC to invest north of $3.5 billion toward a facility in Arizona with six more "Gigafabs" being planned in the southwestern state. U.S. hand-holding in TSMC's policymaking could be part of a strategy to deny cutting-edge silicon fabrication technology to China (PRC), and to help TSMC expand its manufacturing in safer regions as the security situation across the Taiwan strait continues to deteriorate. TSMC, specifically western tech companies' dependence on it, makes it a soft target on the island, and a bargaining chip to deter western military intervention.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[FreedomEclipse]

One would think that Taiwan wouldnt want to expand futher into CHINA

 

[mtcn77]

One would think that Taiwan wouldnt want to expand futher into CHINA

Its owner is chinese.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Its owner is chinese.

Saying someone is 'Chinese' is like saying someone is Asian -- There are different types of Chinese. Morris Chang is from China but his business is in Taiwan. Maybe the Taiwanese government might have something to say about the expansion too. Im sure TSMC is getting preferential treatment from the Taiwanese Government

 

[TheLostSwede]

Its owner is chinese.

The founder was born in the ROC/China, not the PRC/China.
So was many other Taiwanese. They fled because they didn't like the fact that the communists took over. Or their parents did at the very least.
Where you were born ≠ who you are.
Besides, by your logic, a large chunk of the people in Taiwan are chinese, as the KMT brought over more than a million people when they seized power of Taiwan.

 

[RH92]

Saying someone is 'Chinese' is like saying someone is Asian --

Sorry what ? You are confusing Asia which is continent with China which is a country so i don't get the point you are trying to make ... assuming there is any ....

 

[N3utro]

USA are right to fight for TSMC. It's one of the world most important chip manufacturer, at the edge of technology. The whole world depend on them for technology somehow.

If China decided one day to take over the production sites on their land it would impact everyone.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Sorry what ? You are confusing Asia which is continent with China which is a country so i don't get the point you are trying to make ... assuming there is any ....

How many types of 'Asian' are there? By me saying Asian its like im throwing a blanket over an entire race of Asians. There are many different Asian races/cultures

The same way there are Chinese people that arent from China. There are Chinese people from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mongolia etc etc the list goes on.

Saying "Hes Chinese" doesnt really mean anything. So what if hes Chinese?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Sorry what ? You are confusing Asia which is continent with China which is a country so i don't get the point you are trying to make ... assuming there is any ....

It's how most americans and many europeans refer to "chinese" looking people, regardless of where they're from.
Much like white people are all from the US in many asian countries. You have no idea how fed up I am with being called american and that people assume I teach english for a living. Or you know, people just pointing at staring at times and calling me an outsider.

 

[mtcn77]

Don't get all political.
The owner is from china the same way Xi Jinping is from china - they were both outcasts. Being the president doesn't change anything.

 

[RH92]

If China decided one day to take over the production sites on their land it would impact everyone.

Yeah thats a HUGE IF ... yet nobody can remotely justify as to why China would do such a thing . It's not as if China does already businees just fine with the rest of the world right , right .....

Thas is on the same level of propaganda with the stories about Soviets invading the West yet go figure it's always the West that has expanded towards the East !

 

[TheLostSwede]

USA are right to fight for TSMC. It's one of the world most important chip manufacturer, at the edge of technology. The whole world depend on them for technology somehow.

If China decided one day to take over the production sites on their land it would impact everyone.

Which we know could happen and has happened in many cases. Just look what they just did to Didi, which is a local company...

 

[RH92]

It's how most americans and many europeans refer to "chinese" looking people, regardless of where they're from.

That's blatant racism but hey coming from the US , paint me surprised

 

[TheLostSwede]

Don't get all political.
The owner is from china the same way Xi Jinping is from china - they were both outcasts. Being the president doesn't change anything.

SERIOUSLY!! Dude, no F-ing way is that the same.
I don't know where you're from, but it would be the same as saying you're from the same country as a really horrible person from the same country. I don't think you would appreciate that.
You clearly have no idea about the history of china and Taiwan, so please stop making stupid assumptions.

 

[RH92]

Some peoples over here are so deeply indoctrinated by US propaganda that they don't even question what business has the US on Chinese borders , messing up with peoples of Chinese ethnicity .....

 

[TheLostSwede]

Yeah thats a HUGE IF ... yet nobody can remotely justify as to why China would do such a thing . It's not as if China does already businees just fine with the rest of the world right , right .....

Thas is on the same level of propaganda with the stories about Soviets invading the West yet go figure it's always the West that has expanded towards the East !

I can justify it, because they can. They don't need any reason. After all, the staff is mostly local, they know how to operate the factory and if china decides that they'll have no more of the "breakaway province", they'll just seize whatever companies there are on chinese soil and that's the end of that.
Emperor Xi is set on concurring Taiwan, one way or another and Taiwan is having none of it.
Just look at what the PRC has done with Hong Kong over the past few years. I no longer dare to travel there (if I could travel), as it's way too big of a risk to be arrested for no reason but the fact that I live in Taiwan.

It's not like the anti soviet propaganda this time around, it's a serious possibility and it's also a serious possibility of war in this part of the world. It really comes down to what mood Xi is in. That is not a rational person that can be reasoned with.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

How the feck does America have any say as to what a Taiwanese company does?

 

[RH92]

I can justify it, because they can. They don't need any reason.

They don't need any reason ? you lost me there , you clearly don't have the intellectual maturity for this debate lad !

 

[persondb]

Its owner is chinese.

TSMC is public though. I don't know if he holds the majority of the shares or not but seeing how his estimated net worth is $2.8 billions, I would bet that no.
So it doesn't matter. Plus as others said he wasn't born in the PRC aka modern China, though he might have sympathy to it or not or whatever.

 

[Easo]

How the feck does America have any say as to what a Taiwanese company does?

Strategical partnership.

 

[TheLostSwede]

They don't need any reason ? you lost me there , you clearly don't have the intellectual maturity for this debate lad !

Sorry, but do you live in this part of the world?
I guess you don't have the first idea how the PRC government acts.
Look what happened to Jack Ma, he got too powerful and too rich, so the PRC government smacked him around and more or less killed off his latest venture.
They kidnap people in other countries and drag them to china and have them confess crimes they didn't commit and the crimes are treason against the PRC. Look up Gui Minhai.
They shut down publications in Hong Kong and arrest their staff, as they claim they are spreading foreign propaganda. They arrest people in Hong Kong for being terrorists, because they laid flower on a place where someone committed suicide, admittedly after attacking and killing a police officer out of desperation.
The PRC doesn't need reasons and if you think they do, then you're sorely mistaken.

 

[RH92]

How the feck does America have any say as to what a Taiwanese company does?

America has a say on anything that happens on this planet and even beyond this planet , don't you know that .

But hey now China having a say on Taiwan ( same enthnicity ) which has been related to mainland China since 1683 ... now that is stange , that is dictatorship eh .

 

[TheLostSwede]

How the feck does America have any say as to what a Taiwanese company does?

Well, I would guess some 60-70% of TSMCs income comes from US companies. As such, their customers would have a say in whether they want their chips made in Taiwan, china or the US, no?
As for the US government, that bit is very complicated, as most of these things are, but let's say it involves selling arms to Taiwan.

 

[RH92]

Sorry, but do you live in this part of the world?
I guess you don't have the first idea how the PRC government acts.

Because i need to live in this part of the world to know where China is heading in terms of relatioship and business with the rest of the world ? China has been for decates the factory of the entire world yet you and others are here convinced for some reason you can't name but you knwo it exist China would stop doing business with the rest of the world ........ yeah whatever makes your day !

 

[TheLostSwede]

America has a say on anything that happens on this planet and even beyond this planet , don't you know that .

But hey now China having a say on Taiwan ( same enthnicity ) which has been related to mainland China since 1683 ... now that is stange .

Uhm, dude, china has NEVER ruled Taiwan. Japan did rule most of Taiwan at one point in time and even the Dutch and Spanish had small holds on the island, but no chinese government until the KMT/ROC came here after losing the war to the communists, has ruled Taiwan.

Because i need to live in this part of the world to know where China is heading in terms of relatioship and business with the rest of the world ? China has been for decates the factory of the entire world yet you and others are here convinced for some reason you can't name but you knwo it exist China would stop doing business with the rest of the world ........ yeah whatever makes your day !

Seriously? You clearly ignored everything I wrote, cute...