TSMC chairman says "nobody can control TSMC by force" as tensions between the US and China...

[midian182]

In context: TSMC's chairman has warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would result in the company's factories becoming inoperable, underlining the point that "Nobody can control TSMC by force." The rare interview with Mark Liu comes as tensions between the US and China reach an all-time high over House Speaker Pelosi's plans to visit Taiwan during her Asia tour. China said it would "not sit by idly" and threatened "forceful measures" if Pelosi does land in the country.

Liu shared his thoughts on a possible Chinese invasion in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria. He said that, like all wars, there would be "no winners" if such a conflict did occur, with China, Taiwan, and the West all losing. Liu added that the scenario would have consequences beyond the semiconductor industry, resulting in the "destruction of the world's rules-based order."

Taiwan, tech, and the threat of Chinese attack: Part 1 of my conversation with TSMC Chairman Mark Liu, from today's GPS pic.twitter.com/xTGR1ovEoC

— Fareed Zakaria (@FareedZakaria) July 31, 2022

In June, a high-ranking government economist said China should seize TSMC if the west ever imposed sanctions on the country like those faced by Russia. Liu believes taking TSMC by force would be impossible given the company's many moving parts and reliance on support from outside firms to operate. "[T]hese are such sophisticated manufacturing facilities, they depend on the real-time connection with the outside world... from materials, to chemicals, to spare parts, to engineering software, and diagnosis," the chairman explained.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recently warned that the US could face a deep recession if it were ever cut off from the Taiwanese chip manufacturing industry—one of the factors that prompted the CHIPS Act.

China also relies on TSMC for its chips, and Liu believes the country would face great economic turmoil if its most advanced component supply disappeared. Analysts believe China's fear of what a disrupted Taiwanese chip industry would do to its economy is a significant deterrent against any invasion plans—a so-called Silicon Shield. "If they [China] need us, it's not a bad thing," Liu added.

Liu concluded by saying that China, Taiwan, and the west need to look at how to avoid war in the region and ensure the engine of the world's economy continues humming.

According to the latest reports, the US Air Force jet that Pelosi flew on to Malaysia has taken off from Kuala Lumpur. While it's unclear if she is on the plane, the US Navy has simultaneously deployed four warships east of Taiwan, suggesting the House Speaker's visit could happen today.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/95499-tsmc-chairman-nobody-can-control-tsmc-force-tensions.html

 

[Skjorn]

I stopped reading after the wars comment lol that was such a stupid comment.
Yeahhh nobody ever won a war... right... when you're being invaded make sure to keep telling yourself that.

 

[yRaz]

I stopped reading after the wars comment lol that was such a stupid comment.
Yeahhh nobody ever won a war... right... when you're being invaded make sure to keep telling yourself that.

you can win a war, but at what cost? Look at the people who are horribly disfigured in the civil war and WWI. Look at the mental costs of people in Vietnam and the PTSD victims of the afghan and Iraq wars. No one "wins" a war

 

[bviktor]

I stopped reading after the wars comment lol that was such a stupid comment.
Yeahhh nobody ever won a war... right... when you're being invaded make sure to keep telling yourself that.

Well if you consider killing more of the enemy than your own a victory, then yes, it's a stupid comment.

 

[R00sT3R]

..or just wire their factories with a couple thousand pounds of C4, ready to blow, if China invades.

 

[Skjorn]

you can win a war, but at what cost? Look at the people who are horribly disfigured in the civil war and WWI. Look at the mental costs of people in Vietnam and the PTSD victims of the afghan and Iraq wars. No one "wins" a war

Who won the Civil War?
Who won the Vietnam War?

REVOLUTIONARY WAR?

 

[yRaz]

Who won the Civil War?
Who won the Vietnam War?

REVOLUTIONARY WAR?

Vietnam wasn't even technically a war. I don't think you comprehend the true cost of War. If we goto War with China I hope you get drafted

 

[terzaerian]

Who won the Civil War?
Who won the Vietnam War?

REVOLUTIONARY WAR?

The Civil War killed more Americans than any conflict before or since, Vietnam basically took a mostly working country domestically and destroyed it in ways we're paying for to this day, and the Revolutionary War was won by our sheer American stubborness, yes, but also a generous contribution by the French, who turned what would have been a middling setback at Yorktown into an untenable position for the British.

You'd be wise to remember the words of General William Tecumseh Sherman, the Union general who secured victory, such as it was, in the Civil War by laying waste to Georgia:

"There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell. You can bear this warning to generations yet to come."

 

[Impudicus]

This smells like a Pelosi family investment opportunity.

 

[terzaerian]

This smells like a Pelosi family investment opportunity.

The worst part about war is that it's generally only people like her that prosper from it. Just like she did the pandemic.

 

[R00sT3R]

Revolutionary War was won by our sheer American stubborness, yes, but also a generous contribution by the French, who turned what would have been a middling setback at Yorktown into an untenable position for the British.

It all worked out for the best.

Althought not obvious at the time, freeing ourselves of you Colonial freeloaders, we were able to set about defeating the French in Europe and expanding the British Empire for the next 100yrs, practically unopposed

losing America may have been a blow to ones pride but it made damn good business sense!

 

[Watzupken]

To be honest, if US really wanted to prevent this war, they wouldn’t have persistently poke the hornets’ nest. China cannot make a move if they cannot find a reason, and US is clearly trying to give the Chinese a reason to start. People can argue that US will not be intimidated by China’s threat, but Taiwan and their citizens have everything to lose if a war breaks out just for their own pride. Pelosi is just going to turn up there, and if China decides to start their own “special operations”, she is just going to fly back, and who suffers in the end? US said they will defend Taiwan, but that does not mean Taiwan will be unharmed.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

To be honest, if US really wanted to prevent this war, they wouldn’t have persistently poke the hornets’ nest. China cannot make a move if they cannot find a reason, and US is clearly trying to give the Chinese a reason to start. People can argue that US will not be intimidated by China’s threat, but Taiwan and their citizens have everything to lose if a war breaks out just for their own pride. Pelosi is just going to turn up there, and if China decides to start their own “special operations”, she is just going to fly back, and who suffers in the end? US said they will defend Taiwan, but that does not mean Taiwan will be unharmed.

Taiwan isnt some innocent puppy in this argument. Neither is china. And NOBODY believes that taiwan, in a war, would be unharmed. That's a pipe dream.

Taiwan wants their independence from china, and eventually this will come to blows.

 

[passwordistaco]

No one "wins" a war

Maybe not, but you sure as hell don't want to be the loser. Ask the Carthaginians.

 

[p51d007]

..or just wire their factories with a couple thousand pounds of C4, ready to blow, if China invades.

Well, maybe not the factories per say, but I'd make sure the "blueprints" for the chips are stored secure NOT in Taiwan, plus I'd just wire the machines that make the chips and blow them up.

 

[Uncle Al]

Sounds to me like a pretty strong hint that it's time to look for a new location for your company .....

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Too bad wars cannot be done on a big open isolated battle field so the cities and people can be spared. The winner on the field claims the city.

 

[umbala]

I stopped reading after the wars comment lol that was such a stupid comment.
Yeahhh nobody ever won a war... right... when you're being invaded make sure to keep telling yourself that.

If you can't comprehend the idea that a war creates only losers on both sides then maybe you should stop reading, not only this article, but altogether.

 

[umbala]

This smells like a Pelosi family investment opportunity.

Sure, you don't like liberals so they are ALL in cahoots with China. They all invest in China, right?. Meanwhile, your Dear Orange Leader and his ilk make great bedfellows for Putin and don't forget that sweet, sweet Saudi oil money. So yeah.

 

[umbala]

To be honest, if US really wanted to prevent this war, they wouldn’t have persistently poke the hornets’ nest. China cannot make a move if they cannot find a reason, and US is clearly trying to give the Chinese a reason to start. People can argue that US will not be intimidated by China’s threat, but Taiwan and their citizens have everything to lose if a war breaks out just for their own pride. Pelosi is just going to turn up there, and if China decides to start their own “special operations”, she is just going to fly back, and who suffers in the end? US said they will defend Taiwan, but that does not mean Taiwan will be unharmed.

So now China gets to dictate which country's which diplomat/politician can visit what country and when? Otherwise it's a threat of war! Reminds of the d-bags who argued that Ukraine should just give up whatever amount of territory will satisfy Putin in order to avoid a war. Once you start giving in to commie threats, where does it end?

 

[alexnode]

Well even if Ukraine wins against the Russians ... it is a destroyed country. Basic infrastructure demolished, big urban centres bombarded. That's the fate of small "satellite states" around big powers. With Taiwan our tech capabilities will be dead in the water, I wondered who thought it's a good idea to have 90% of our tech production in and around China and then threaten China with tech embargoes etc and quotas ?

 

[alexnode]

Sure, you don't like liberals so they are ALL in cahoots with China. They all invest in China, right?. Meanwhile, your Dear Orange Leader and his ilk make great bedfellows for Putin and don't forget that sweet, sweet Saudi oil money. So yeah.

This is not about the right-wing or the left, the whole capitalist system and the biggest multinationals in the world thought that it's a great idea to outsource all of our production to this strange land of totalitarian, capitalist, "communism" called China. It was just cheaper and there was less trouble with the workers, I can't even remember when I last bought something that's not made in China. A pair of shoes probably. So or we manage to get all along just fine ... or we will all have a really bad time, I wonder how us in Europe will react if things go out of hand.

 

[Skjorn]

If you can't comprehend the idea that a war creates only losers on both sides then maybe you should stop reading, not only this article, but altogether.

Tell it to the dead free slaves