STORY – The semiconductor industry represents both a safeguard and an element of covetousness for Beijing.
The 1is August, while Nancy Pelosi sparked the ire of the Chinese government by landing in Taiwan, Mark Liu, the boss of the global chip manufacturing giant TSMC issued a warning without charge. “No one can control TSMC by force!”, he warned in an interview with CNN. A real warning shot intended to alert the whole world to the consequences that a Chinese invasion would have on its factories, 90% of which are located in Taiwan. The Taiwanese boss does not mince his words: he would prefer to return his industrial facilities “inoperative” rather than leaving them in the hands of the Chinese. Such an eventuality would block the world economy.
The planet depends on its foundries (factories), which manufacture the most advanced semiconductors. They are present in our smartphones, our computers and in all electronic products, ranging from cars to the arms industry. If TSMC’s factories were to shut down, it’s not just…
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