Joint Times, December 2 report: "TSMC Chairman Wei Chieh-jia is expected to lead two vice presidents to mainland China on Thursday (December 4) to attend the TSMC Open Innovation Platform (OIP) Ecosystem Forum in Nanjing, and visit chip design companies such as Alibaba, exploring more possibilities for cooperation."
Comments: This trip also hides TSMC's dual strategic considerations in responding to industry cycles and geopolitical constraints. Although the global semiconductor market is gradually recovering, the recovery of consumer electronics demand is weak, and competition in AI chip capacity has entered a feverish stage. TSMC urgently needs to bind with core customers such as major AI giants and new energy vehicle manufacturers in mainland China to capture orders in emerging markets. Meanwhile, the industrial upgrading of mainland China in semiconductor materials and packaging and testing has also provided new opportunities for TSMC to reduce supply chain costs and enhance production flexibility. This "demand-side + supply-side" mutual empowerment has deepened the cross-strait industrial linkage from simple "contract manufacturing - design" cooperation to full-chain collaboration.
It is worth noting that geopolitical rivalry has not been absent from this cooperative interaction. When promoting its business in mainland China, TSMC still needs to avoid external restrictions in areas such as advanced process output and technology licensing. Meanwhile, the mainland's pursuit of semiconductor self-reliance will not waver. This state of "cooperation with boundaries, coordination with bottom lines" may become the norm for future cross-strait semiconductor industry interactions. However, regardless of the circumstances, the core message conveyed by Wei Chieh-jia's trip is clear: during this critical period of global supply chain restructuring, rational strategic choices of enterprises will ultimately surpass short-term geopolitical disturbances. The scale advantage, industrial support capabilities, and innovative vitality of the mainland market remain core variables that global semiconductor giants cannot ignore. This industry linkage based on comparative advantages will continue to inject stability into the global technology industry amid turbulent situations.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850436268645640/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.