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The USA is also willing to defend Taiwan and currently the US has carrier groups in the south China sea. This suggests that the idea of building chips in the US

The USA is also willing to defend Taiwan and currently the US has carrier groups in the south China sea. This suggests that the idea of building chips in the US may be a diplomatic courtesy and arguably an incentive.

jlduan 5y ago
It is a request from the U.S. https://www.reuters.com/technology/chipmaker-tsmc-eyeing-expansion-planned-arizona-plant-sources-2021-05-04/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/chipmaker-tsmc-eyeing-exp...
- edrxty 5y ago
  Regardless of who made the request the reasoning still makes sense. Both the US and TSMC want this outcome the obvious quid pro quo helps.
bigpumpkin 5y ago
Currently, no carrier group is in the South China Sea [1] [1] https://news.usni.org/category/fleet-tracker https://news.usni.org/category/fleet-tracker
- nradov 5y ago
  True, but US carrier strike groups do occasionally operate close to Taiwan and smaller surface action groups make more frequent FONOPs through the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. For now at least the US appears committed.
- SCAQTony 5y ago
  Thank you for the correction, however, twentyfour days ago there were: https://news.usni.org/2021/04/09/u-s-carrier-strike-group-amphibious-warships-massed-in-south-china-sea-as-regional-tensions-simmer https://news.usni.org/2021/04/09/u-s-carrier-strike-group-am...
sudosysgen 5y ago
Building chips in the US is definitely a disincentive. There is much less of a reason to protect Taiwan if this industry will be safe no matter what in the US with the required expertise accessible no matter the outcome of the invasion.
scythe 5y ago
Our willingness to defend Taiwan doesn't mean a war wouldn't disrupt the supply chain. There's a reason the Soviet Union built factories in Novosibirsk, and it wasn't because they weren't willing to defend Leningrad.
- igorstellar 5y ago
  They moved most factories from the west, not build initially. I am from other Siberian city known for moved factories from western cities during the war.
crocodiletears 5y ago
I would argue that by the time China comes to take Taiwan (when, not if), the US will be in a position where it is unwilling/able to expend the lives and funds required to provide a prolonged defense of a piece of land firmly in China's front yard. Personally, I think we're at the point where the US would consider the costs of Taiwan's defense well beyond any potential benefits. It's too economically integrated with China, and the sheer number of bodies it would take aren't worth the moral victory. Hong Kong is the writing on the wall. China wishes to restore integrity to what it regards as its territory. TSMC must open facilities in the west because its Taiwan facilities are too dangerous to leave in enemy hands. It has to invest in capital outside of any potential conflict zone if it plans to exists over the long-term as a profit-making entity.
- myrandomcomment 5y ago
  The USA must defend Taiwan even at the risk of nuclear war. The dollars position in the world allows the USA to run its current accounting. Allowing China to take Taiwan destroys the economy and the position of the USA in the world. That being said I feel that Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that is worth defending, and yes I did my time as a solider and understand the horrors of it.
  - rapsey 5y ago
    The US defence of Taiwan is unfortunately just posturing. Should China commit to taking Taiwan they will do it. US military simulations have confirmed this again and again. Chinese military capability is strong enough to overwhelm the US Taiwan forces.
    - myrandomcomment 5y ago
      No it is not, which is the reason it will end up in nukes. There are a ton of well researched papers on this. Taiwan is well dug in and any invasion perpetration would be seen months in advance. To be clear, if the USA defense of Taiwan leads to the extinction of the human race, so be it. We should have destroyed nazi germany in 1939. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum. We are not worthy to survive if we do not defend democracy. I say this as a veteran and parent of kids that are just starting their life. Edit: downvoted by the China accounts. Love it. Post facts. This is hacker news. We operate on data. I applaud today's Mars landing by China. I applaud all they have done as county to pull their people from poverty. The CPC has done amazing things to bring China forward, but it is has had its time. It is time trust in the people for leadership in the future. A democratic republic is what the world hopes for. China has so much to offer to the world.
justicezyx 5y ago
Why not US help China unite? Why US always are interested in dividing people?
- CBLT 5y ago
  Taiwanese people respond in polls that they see themselves as Taiwanese, not Chinese.
- hyperdunc 5y ago
  The only way to unite groups of people with fundamentally opposing political views is through oppression.
- MangoCoffee 5y ago
  look at the recent Taiwan election. the pan-green party won the presidential race with the highest votes in Taiwan history. Taiwanese rejected reunification with China. Taiwanese rejected CCP.
- vineyardmike 5y ago
  There is no uniting to do. They’re two separate countries where one wants to own the other
gadf 5y ago
What if Taiwan and China are the same entity, with two faces? Then it would make sense to hype the threat, and hype how different they were and how "Western-valued" Taiwan was. But why do this? Control. "Good cop, bad cop". I can come at you from two angels, control what you see as a threat, and control who you see as a friend, but I control both those. Why else? Maybe China can get Western tech back-channeled through Taiwan. Defense contractors can't sell to China, but they can to Taiwan. A few TW based "China spy" show trials don't a summer make. Why else? Maybe China can push the US into a "Moon race" style resource depletion/distraction race using South China Sea / Taiwan as a bait and vanguard. Why else? Media control. Threat of war narrative trumps many others. Slightest provocation triggers explosion of media interest. China can deploy this narrative countermeasure any time it likes. Why else? Why did NI prolong the "troubles" for such a long time, and maintain the narrative of persistent threat? Kept the foreign money flowing. TW is uniquely position to capture both Western and Chinese investment. Could this situation be as "innocent" as the media narrative would have you believe about: "big bad China", "poor innocent Taiwaness", and "noble heroic America"? Or could there be more too it? Think about it, or not, invasion not gonna happen in the 2020s.

jlduan 5y ago

It is a request from the U.S. https://www.reuters.com/technology/chipmaker-tsmc-eyeing-expansion-planned-arizona-plant-sources-2021-05-04/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/chipmaker-tsmc-eyeing-exp...

edrxty 5y ago
Regardless of who made the request the reasoning still makes sense. Both the US and TSMC want this outcome the obvious quid pro quo helps.

bigpumpkin 5y ago

Currently, no carrier group is in the South China Sea [1] [1] https://news.usni.org/category/fleet-tracker https://news.usni.org/category/fleet-tracker

nradov 5y ago
True, but US carrier strike groups do occasionally operate close to Taiwan and smaller surface action groups make more frequent FONOPs through the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. For now at least the US appears committed.
SCAQTony 5y ago
Thank you for the correction, however, twentyfour days ago there were: https://news.usni.org/2021/04/09/u-s-carrier-strike-group-amphibious-warships-massed-in-south-china-sea-as-regional-tensions-simmer https://news.usni.org/2021/04/09/u-s-carrier-strike-group-am...

sudosysgen 5y ago

Building chips in the US is definitely a disincentive. There is much less of a reason to protect Taiwan if this industry will be safe no matter what in the US with the required expertise accessible no matter the outcome of the invasion.

scythe 5y ago

Our willingness to defend Taiwan doesn't mean a war wouldn't disrupt the supply chain. There's a reason the Soviet Union built factories in Novosibirsk, and it wasn't because they weren't willing to defend Leningrad.

igorstellar 5y ago
They moved most factories from the west, not build initially. I am from other Siberian city known for moved factories from western cities during the war.

crocodiletears 5y ago

I would argue that by the time China comes to take Taiwan (when, not if), the US will be in a position where it is unwilling/able to expend the lives and funds required to provide a prolonged defense of a piece of land firmly in China's front yard. Personally, I think we're at the point where the US would consider the costs of Taiwan's defense well beyond any potential benefits. It's too economically integrated with China, and the sheer number of bodies it would take aren't worth the moral victory. Hong Kong is the writing on the wall. China wishes to restore integrity to what it regards as its territory. TSMC must open facilities in the west because its Taiwan facilities are too dangerous to leave in enemy hands. It has to invest in capital outside of any potential conflict zone if it plans to exists over the long-term as a profit-making entity.

myrandomcomment 5y ago
The USA must defend Taiwan even at the risk of nuclear war. The dollars position in the world allows the USA to run its current accounting. Allowing China to take Taiwan destroys the economy and the position of the USA in the world. That being said I feel that Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that is worth defending, and yes I did my time as a solider and understand the horrors of it.
- rapsey 5y ago
  The US defence of Taiwan is unfortunately just posturing. Should China commit to taking Taiwan they will do it. US military simulations have confirmed this again and again. Chinese military capability is strong enough to overwhelm the US Taiwan forces.
  - myrandomcomment 5y ago
    No it is not, which is the reason it will end up in nukes. There are a ton of well researched papers on this. Taiwan is well dug in and any invasion perpetration would be seen months in advance. To be clear, if the USA defense of Taiwan leads to the extinction of the human race, so be it. We should have destroyed nazi germany in 1939. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum. We are not worthy to survive if we do not defend democracy. I say this as a veteran and parent of kids that are just starting their life. Edit: downvoted by the China accounts. Love it. Post facts. This is hacker news. We operate on data. I applaud today's Mars landing by China. I applaud all they have done as county to pull their people from poverty. The CPC has done amazing things to bring China forward, but it is has had its time. It is time trust in the people for leadership in the future. A democratic republic is what the world hopes for. China has so much to offer to the world.

justicezyx 5y ago

Why not US help China unite? Why US always are interested in dividing people?

CBLT 5y ago
Taiwanese people respond in polls that they see themselves as Taiwanese, not Chinese.
hyperdunc 5y ago
The only way to unite groups of people with fundamentally opposing political views is through oppression.
MangoCoffee 5y ago
look at the recent Taiwan election. the pan-green party won the presidential race with the highest votes in Taiwan history. Taiwanese rejected reunification with China. Taiwanese rejected CCP.
vineyardmike 5y ago
There is no uniting to do. They’re two separate countries where one wants to own the other

gadf 5y ago

What if Taiwan and China are the same entity, with two faces? Then it would make sense to hype the threat, and hype how different they were and how "Western-valued" Taiwan was. But why do this? Control. "Good cop, bad cop". I can come at you from two angels, control what you see as a threat, and control who you see as a friend, but I control both those. Why else? Maybe China can get Western tech back-channeled through Taiwan. Defense contractors can't sell to China, but they can to Taiwan. A few TW based "China spy" show trials don't a summer make. Why else? Maybe China can push the US into a "Moon race" style resource depletion/distraction race using South China Sea / Taiwan as a bait and vanguard. Why else? Media control. Threat of war narrative trumps many others. Slightest provocation triggers explosion of media interest. China can deploy this narrative countermeasure any time it likes. Why else? Why did NI prolong the "troubles" for such a long time, and maintain the narrative of persistent threat? Kept the foreign money flowing. TW is uniquely position to capture both Western and Chinese investment. Could this situation be as "innocent" as the media narrative would have you believe about: "big bad China", "poor innocent Taiwaness", and "noble heroic America"? Or could there be more too it? Think about it, or not, invasion not gonna happen in the 2020s.