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President Lai lauds TSMC US investment plan

President Lai Ching-te emphasized at a press conference with TSMC Chair C. C. Wei that through expanded investment in the U.S., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. would contribute to next generation artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, Mar. 6 in Taipei. Lai noted that in 2020, TSMC’s investment initiative in Arizona was the biggest from a foreign country into the U.S, and added that Wei and President Donald Trump announced Mar. 4 that TSMC would expand U.S. investment. Semiconductor industry development in Taiwan is the result of joint academic, government and industrial sector work over the past five decades, Lai said. He thanked TSMC Founder Morris Chang, former Chair Mark Liu and current Chair Wei for their leadership and also acknowledged the dedication of TSMC staff and support from former ROC (Taiwan) presidents. In response, Wei noted an additional investment of US$100 billion in the U.S. He said the project was a response to consumer demand, as was the establishment of plants in Japan and Germany. The recent investment in the U.S. is for establishment of three more fabs, two advanced packaging plants and a research and development center with 1,000 staff. In addition, a Mar. 6 Executive Yuan press release noted that Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that the government fully understood business integration in the global market, but Cho also met with industry representatives to emphasize the importance of maintaining Taiwan’s leading position in key technologies and global supply chains. Cho added that TSMC plans to build nine advanced fabs in Taiwan, including six 2-nanometer plants, one in Hsinchu and five in Kaohsiung; three 1.4-nanometer fabs, one in Taichung City and another two in Hsinchu; as well as three advanced packaging plants in Chiayi County and Tainan City, Cho added. (POC-E) Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw