Topics: Ukraine, US News, Donald Trump, World News, Business, Money, China, Technology
The 'world's most powerful company' has announced it would pay the United States a $100 billion 'protection fee' amid fears of war.
Taiwan's president and top chipmaker at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced earlier this month that the company would invest $100 billion in the US.
The plans include three more chip manufacturing plants and two packaging facilities in Arizona.
While President Lai Ching-te stressed the decision came from customer demand and not from mounting pressure from the Trump administration, the move sent shockwaves across the East Asian country with fears that Taiwan is losing not only its crown jewel but its 'silicon shield' that protects it from a Chinese attack.
Advert
The metaphor reflects how Taiwan stands as a major global supplier of high-tech goods that maintains its geopolitical safety as TSMC produces around 90 percent of the world's advanced microchips, which fuels smartphones, weapons and artificial intelligence.
Former President Ma Ying-jeou accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of 'selling TSMC' as a 'protection fee'.
Taking to his Facebook page, Ma, who sits on the opposition, wrote: "This is a major national security crisis."
The Kuomintang (KMT) representative slammed the move further, saying it will 'have a significant negative impact on people’s confidence, cross-strait relations and Taiwan’s future geopolitical position'.
KMT lawmaker and chief whip Fu Kun-chi also said: "If TSMC turns into 'American Semiconductor Manufacturing Company', where will Taiwan's security be then?", reports NPR.
Last week, President Ching-te reiterated that the company's investment in the US would not come at the cost of its planned expansion at home.
But the looming threat of China is very real, with China's ruling Communist Party laying claims of ownership of Taiwan and saying it would take full control of it by force, if necessary.
Taiwan relies on military and political support from the US to defend itself from a possible attack, as per the Taiwan Relations Act.
Yet Trump has appeared to undermine the legal responsibility, having accused Taiwan of 'stealing' the US semiconductor industry and claiming it should fork out for US 'protection'.
The self-governing island sees many parallels between its threats from dominating neighbors to that of Ukraine and Russia, and fears a similar battle could be on the cards.
Trump's tough approach with Ukraine, where in one heated meeting the POTUS 'yelled' at President Zelenskyy, hasn't exactly soothed such concerns either.
While Washington appears to be charging ahead with a 30-day ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, it also pressed Ukraine into signing a deal for the US to access its minerals.
Tammy Chao, a retiree, told CNN that she feared Taiwan could become a pawn in Trump's 'game' further down the line.
"Taiwan, pretty soon just like [what] he said to Zelenskyy, ‘you have no cards to play,’ and Taiwan is not gonna have cards to play," she said. "TSMC was the best card."
