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Economist says China must seize TSMC if the US tightens sanctions:
The importance of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, better known as TSMC, to the global economy cannot be understated. The world's largest chip manufacturer has a 54% share of the global chip market, which makes an economist's call for China to seize TSMC if the US imposes harsh sanctions on the country all the more concerning.
Bloomberg reports that Chen Wenling, chief economist at the government-run China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said, "If the US and the West impose destructive sanctions on China like sanctions against Russia, we must recover Taiwan."
Chen singled out TSMC in the speech at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University last month. "Especially in the reconstruction of the industrial chain and supply chain, we must seize TSMC," she added.
TSMC is reportedly set to build six chip fabs in the US, though it has announced just one so far. "They [TSMC] are speeding up the transfer to the US to build six factories there," Chen said. "We must not let all the goals of the transfer be achieved."
Chen does talk about the scenario only taking place if the US hit China with Russia-like sanctions, which were put in place after it invaded Ukraine. Taiwan has long said it is an independent nation, while China insists it is part of its territory and has no qualms about using force to bring it under control.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Snort on Thursday June 09 2022, @04:30PM (3 children)
The US is frozen with old and weak leadership in both parties. Distracted by war in Russia and elsewhere.
There is little to be done if China was determined to do it. Sanctions would hurt for a while.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09 2022, @04:52PM
What makes him (or anyone) think Taiwan won't blow the TSMC plants to little pieces if China tries to invade and seize them?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Hartree on Thursday June 09 2022, @08:52PM
Shamelessly paraphrasing you:
"The US is frozen with old and weak leadership in both parties. Distracted by war in Syria, the Horn of Africa and worry over China and Taiwan.
There is little to be done if Russia was determined to invade Ukraine. Sanctions would hurt for a while."
This was the disastrous logic Putin et al followed. Perhaps what you say of China is true, but wars rarely go the way those who start them intend.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday June 10 2022, @02:14AM
Stop exporting food to China (which gets about 40% of its food from the U.S.)
Stop importing Chinese junk (somewhere around half of China's export market).
China is quickly rendered impotent.
Whether we'd have the balls to do this, tho, that's a valid question, and I'm afraid the present answer is no.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.