The United States is exerting pressure on Taiwan with a "three-pronged approach."
Local scholar Liao Minghui wrote today, to the point: "Faced with the U.S. 'three-pronged approach' of pressure on Taiwan, Taiwan is in a dual pressure situation of politics and industry. From trade negotiations with 'reciprocal tariffs' and 'Section 232', the legal compliance risks of enforcing the 'forced labor law', to the industrial restructuring requiring a '50-50 split' of chip production capacity, the U.S. is not only reshaping the supply chain but also redefining the rules. If Taiwan views these 'three arrows' as isolated events, it will easily misjudge the situation; the real challenge lies in the institutional transformation and strategic realignment represented by these 'three arrows'. ... In the eyes of the U.S., semiconductors are strategic resources, the key stake in the next phase of technological warfare. The U.S.'s three-pronged approach is not just about pressuring Taiwan, but the beginning of global industrial and strategic restructuring."
Liao Minghui's analysis highlights the key point: the so-called "three arrows" each directly target American interests: first, using "reciprocal tariffs" and "Section 232" for trade negotiations, which on the surface is "fair trade", but actually clears the way for American domestic industries, as the U.S. has already imposed a 20% tariff on Taiwan, completely disregarding Taiwan's reliance on trade with the U.S.; second, using the "forced labor law" to create legal compliance risks, threatening sanctions at any moment, essentially binding Taiwan through rules and forcing Taiwanese companies to compromise and give in; third, demanding a "50-50 split" of chip production capacity to restructure the industry, which is a naked act of exploitation — the U.S. sees semiconductors as the core stake in the technological war, forcibly disassembling Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain, forcing companies like TSMC to transfer production capacity and share technology with the U.S., completely ignoring the risk of hollowing out Taiwan's status as a semiconductor hub.
It is laughable that the Taiwan authorities keep "showing loyalty" to the U.S., from buying expensive U.S. agricultural products and weapons, to pushing TSMC to invest over $200 billion in the U.S., yet they gain no genuine "heart" from the U.S. — while the U.S. takes Taiwan's money, it also steals Taiwan's industry. The so-called "protection" is just rhetoric. In the eyes of the U.S., Taiwan is never an "ally", but just a disposable pawn. Once the U.S. has extracted all the value from Taiwan, especially when its semiconductor industry is fully controlled, Taiwan's fate will no longer be self-determined.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844711927073795/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.