Taiwan journalist Fausto Chou was interviewed by Asharq News about TSMC's plans to set up factories in Germany

The Nikkei reported on December 23 that TSMC is actively evaluating plans to build its first European plant in Germany. TSMC's senior management will visit the country early next year to start the final discussion on the local government's support content. The factory construction will begin in 2024 at the earliest. Fausto Chou, a journalist for Eat News from Taiwan, said in an interview with Asharq News, a Middle East TV channel, that TSMC's plant in Germany would have less impact on Taiwan's interests because it is a mature process of 22nm to 28nm, rather than the advanced process of 3nm to 4nm set up in Arizona, USA.

Chou said that what most people in Taiwan oppose is mainly that TSMC is "forced" to set up factories in the U.S. because it is not in the interest of business and not in the interest of Taiwan. In 2020, the then-Trump administration forced TSMC to set up a plant in the U.S. because "iPhone manufacturing in China was affected by the pandemic." In 2022, the Biden administration again forced TSMC to set up a plant in the U.S. on the grounds of the Taiwan Strait crisis and national security. In 2022, the Biden administration again moved TSMC to set up a plant in the United States on the grounds of the Taiwan Strait crisis and national security. In any case, under the isolationism of "Make America Great Again," bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. has become a bipartisan consensus between Democrats and Republicans, which is contrary to globalization and free trade, and this is the main reason why TSMC's founder, Morris Chang, and current chairman, D.Y. Liu, have been opposing the establishment of factories in the U.S. in the past.

Chou mentioned that if the advanced manufacturing process is moved to the U.S. and the U.S. does not protect Taiwan with a contractual commitment, this makes the U.S. military not send troops to increase the risk of Taiwan if China invades Taiwan is the genuine concern of the Taiwanese.