That's OK. It's on US soil with US employees and can be nationalized if and when need be. I'm sure ASML will be happy to comply or else risk their US operations being nationalized too. Like their DUV/EUV light sources office https://www.asml.com/en/company/about-asml/locations/san-die...
It doesn't need to be a viable replacement. Even if it only ever makes chips that are 1-2 years behind, it's still a huge strategic benefit for the country.
TSMC is governed by the Taiwanese ruling class. If the Chinese launches a widespread attack on Taiwanese soil tomorrow, nothing would happen to any of these people. These people are not your random neighbors harboring nationalistic views.
You don't have to be a rabid nationalist to not wish for your country to be invaded and annexed by others. You don't even have to live there. I'm sure a large percentage of Taiwanese living in countries outside of Taiwan would not wish for it to be invaded.
I'm not even Taiwanese, don't know anyone of Taiwanese descent well, and I don't want Taiwan invaded.
The suggestion that there's some kind of weird oligarchy class of TSMC-controlling Taiwanese who couldn't give a toss if Taiwan was invaded is a mustache-twirling level of caricature.
TSMC is governed by the Taiwanese government, which is a puppet government controlled by the US government and military. TSMC answers to the US directly, as without US support, Taiwan falls to China almost instantly. Nobody besides the US can prevent a blockade of Taiwan
This claim is based on... Them wanting not to be invaded?
If anything they had the foresight and took advantage of US companies not wanting to fab their chips at higher prices domestically. This has led to cooperation between the two.
I see this argument in some fashion every day, claiming US allies are puppets. When in fact, they just find commonalities and cooperate.
the strength of the US defense commitment is likely proportional to the strategic value of the economic assets they still hold. the taiwanese have every incentive to do just well enough at the AZ plant for the $39 Billion checks to clear and no better
While true, TSMC has a stronger incentive for its own survival than the survival of Taiwan. If it's easier for them to shift operations to the US and continue to make $$$, I suspect they'd do that over retaining operations in Taiwan and hoping it will convince the US to protect the country.
This factory is not for economic independence or economic strategy. It is for geopolitical strategy. This factory is meant to build smarter munitions if war breaks out, not the latest cellphone. The US gov does not give a fuck about Apple's stock price and product plans if war breaks out with China, since, you know, there's real adult problems going on.
