Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has dismissed “rumors” about the risks of investing in the island’s core semiconductor industry, saying the government is working hard to ensure those investments continue. Taiwan, home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker TSMC, plays a big role in supplying the chips used in everything from cars and smartphones to fighter jets. It is also a leading supplier to companies such as Apple Inc. However, the Chinese military’s threat to the island to assert Beijing’s sovereignty claims – especially after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August – is forcing the chip industry to reassess the risks of investing in the island. Taiwan. Tsai, meeting with ASML Holding Chief Operations Officer Frederic Schneider-Maunoury, praised the European company, a key equipment supplier to chip companies such as TSMC, for its commitment to invest in the island. “At a time when the world is paying attention and worrying about Taiwan, I am very grateful to ASML for investing in Taiwan with concrete actions,” Tsai said, according to comments released by the presidential office late Tuesday. “I think this also discredits rumors of over-speculation about Taiwan’s risk,” he added. Rick Tsai, chief executive of Taiwan’s largest chip designer MediaTek Inc, told Reuters news agency this month that US-China tensions were prompting some manufacturers to talk about extending part of their supply chain beyond the island, but he added that this was “incremental”. . ASML dominates the global market for lithography systems, which project light to create tiny circuits on chips. TSMC uses ASML’s EUV machines to make its most advanced chips. ASML did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the meeting. Tsai said investing in Taiwan was “definitely a very right direction” and the government would continue to provide support. “I also look forward to Taiwan’s continued deepening of cooperation with democratic allies to build a safer and more resilient global supply chain,” he added. The presidential office statement said Schneider-Maunoury told Tsai that the company would continue to increase its investment in Taiwan, noting that they already have five factories and employ more than 4,500 people on the island.
