TSMC is once again factoring into geopolitical posturing, with a Chinese economist saying the country should invade Taiwan and seize TSMC in the event of sanctions.
TSMC is the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer, responsible for making chips for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Apple, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Intel, AMD, and others. Concerns have been mounting over China’s posturing regarding “reunification” with the island. Given TSMC’s prominence in the tech industry, should China take over Taiwan, TSMC falling under Chinese control would send ripples throughout the tech industry and the world at large.
The concerns run deep enough that, according to The Register, a US Army War College paper suggested that Taiwan should destroy TSMC in the event of a Chinese invasion. Now The Register is reporting that a top Chinese economist is saying that China should invade Taiwan and seize TSMC if the US and its allies impose the kind of sanctions on China that Russia is currently under.
The comments were made in a speech by Chen Wenling, chief economist for the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, at the China-US forum that was hosted by Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. Chen said that if the West imposed sanction on China, like those Russia is under, China “must recover Taiwan” and “seize TSMC, a company that originally belonged to China.”
It’s a safe bet Chen’s speech will only flame further doubt and angst over TSMC’s future.