Taiwan claims ‘breakthrough’ in EU semiconductor cooperation talks
- Reference: 1654185604
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/06/02/taiwan_claims_breakthrough_in_eu/
- Source link:
[1]Reuters reported Thursday that Wang Mei-hua, Taiwan's Economy Minister, made clear in a statement that the country will continue to be a "trusted partner" for the EU in the semiconductor industry so that Europe's supply chain can stablize.
Wang held talks on the semiconductor industry with a senior EU official, Sabine Weyand, director-general for trade at the European Commission, who is focused on working with other countries on industry matters.
[2]
The breakthrough was made as the EU hopes to convince Taiwan's chipmakers, which includes foundry giant TSMC, to build new plants in the bloc. The effort is part of the EU's proposed [3]European Chips Act , which was revealed in February to bolster European competitiveness and resilience in semiconductors while also supporting goals for digital transformation and environmental sustainability.
[4]Germany makes new move to attract chip manufacturers
[5]Taiwan to dominate chipmaking market for foreseeable future
[6]TSMC's chip empire keeps growing, despite ongoing shortages
[7]China finished 2021 with 4% global semiconductor market share
TSMC has previously said it is in the preliminary stages of considering a new plant in Europe with particular emphasis on [8]Germany . The Taiwanese foundry giant makes chips for major companies like Apple, Nvidia, and AMD.
The potential for aggression from China, which claims Taiwan as its own, is the most obvious point of contention in the EU-Taiwan semiconductor talks. A few months ago, Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang said there is concern that China was ramping up efforts to infiltrate Taiwan and gain access to its chip technology. This concern prompted Taiwan to [9]propose tougher laws that would deter China from doing so, which China decried as a "provocative smear."
[10]
The EU has already succeeded in convincing Intel, which has restarted its [11]foundry business to compete with Taiwan, in building new plans in the bloc. The semiconductor giant [12]announced in March that it will invest $36 billion in manufacturing, research and development, chip design, and foundry services across Europe, which will include a $19 billion chip factory in Magdeburg, Germany.
The discussion between Taiwan and the EU happened a day after the island nation [13]started new trade discussions with the United States in a bid to secure tech supply chains. In response, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned against the talks, saying "US maneuvers on Taiwan will only lead the region to a perilous state." ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.reuters.com/technology/taiwan-hold-trade-talks-with-eu-europe-focuses-chips-source-2022-06-02/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YpkzA8ZGfFqTAu-WVg86twAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/08/european_chips_act/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/06/germany_chipmaker_subsidies/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/26/trendforce_foundry_capacity/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/14/tsmcs_chip_empire_keeps_growing/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/06/2021_national_semiconductor_market_share/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/06/germany_chipmaker_subsidies/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/13/taiwan_and_china_new_chip_espionage_laws/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/systems&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YpkzA8ZGfFqTAu-WVg86twAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/24/intel_gelsinger_strategy/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/15/intel_germany_europe_investment/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/02/us_eu_taiwan_trade_talks/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Champagne
Yes all those Eu bureaucrats on the Sunday Times rich list - unlike our poor elected finance ministers
Re: Champagne
Am I the only one who finds it strange that the Sunak family have only just been added to that list.
It's not like Infosys have suddenly become more valuable recently.
Is non-dom status really that valuable?
No Surprise
It rather looks as if everyone is is now expecting China to invade at some point, so setting up bolt-holes for the Taiwanese to scarper to.
Re: No Surprise
It seems like the fabs are the only thing that makes other countries motivated to defend Taiwan. If they build such capability elsewhere, there will be a case for Germany to again ponder whether violence is an answer and do nothing, hoping China will take over swiftly and fabs will resume under a new management.
Re: No Surprise
They don't even have to invade. Just get somebody elected who suddenly decides to impose sanctions on Taiwan's closest allies.
Of course the Taiwanese are an intelligent sophisticated electorate who would never fall for such an obvious ploy
I don't get the China invading Taiwan hype
It is certainly no more likely today than it was five years ago when no one was talking about it. Heck, I would argue that if anything it is LESS likely today because China has seen how willing the west is to gang up with sanctions even when it costs their own people, how willing the US is to supply weapons to allow a country being invaded to kill the invaders, how much difficulty Russia is having making any headway despite their massive military advantage, and how hard a free people are willing to fight to prevent an autocrat from dominating them.
And unlike Russia, China isn't going to tell their people there are Nazis in Taiwan and bomb their cities into rubble. They view Taiwan's populace as misguided brothers, not an enemy whose women and children deserve to be killed and piled up in mass graves.
Now if Putin had marched in and set up a puppet government with a minimum of bloodshed like he thought he would maybe that would give Xi false hope he could do the same in Taiwan and might have increased the chance of an invasion. What Xi has seen instead is every consequence has been negative for Putin - NATO is more solid than it has been in 50 years, it will expand even closer to Moscow as previously neutral countries feel the need to protect themselves, his oligarch's financial positions have been weakened, and his country's economic growth is permanently turning negative for as long as he remains in power. Xi does not want any of those things.
One thing China does much better than the west is think and plan long term. They truly believe their system of government is the best, and will end up beating the rest of the world economically, and then Taiwan would willingly reunite. They see no need to rush things, so long as Taiwan doesn't take any steps to further its independence.
Re: I don't get the China invading Taiwan hype
The issues between Taiwan and China seem to be just political views, talking with people in both countries I always hear that they see themselves as Asian, not two sets of fighters. Both have different political histories but they all seem to just see that as the past these days.
Remember that movie when Deckard tried to kill Roy Batty and then falls off the roof, but Batty then saves Deckard's life even though Batty is about to die ... both people are different when the government talks but Batty sees the two of them as the same and Deckard is so happy when he figures it out too. That's similar to the Asian views of each other.
"which China decried as a "provocative smear."
I'd call it "proactive common sense."
Support Taiwan, fight despotism.
Champagne
I can't even imagine how much money EU bureaucrats will steal from the tax payer on this one.