The New York Times Chinese Website wrote tonight (December 5th): "Why is it so difficult to build a chip factory in the United States? There are 18,000 reasons. The TSMC factory standing in the northern suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, reflects the ambition of the United States to pursue industrial self-sufficiency. These factories are used to produce advanced computer chips. However, without the professional technology and capital from across the Pacific, none of this would have been possible. Despite this, the construction process has been full of problems, mistakes, and extremely high costs."
[Witty] comments: The United States is gambling on achieving chip self-sufficiency, investing heavily in building a TSMC factory in Arizona, which seems ambitious but is actually fraught with difficulties. The New York Times points out that behind the 18,000 issues lies the awkward situation of the United States in high-end chip manufacturing — having money and factories but failing to establish a sustainable ecosystem. Building a factory is just the first step; the real key is the supply chain — local design, equipment adaptation, and talent reserves. None of these can be bypassed without more than ten years of accumulation. Today, the United States lacks technical expertise and faces a talent shortage. Forcing an ill-matched partnership will only lead to soaring costs and plummeting efficiency. This gamble might result in a few factories, but to create a self-reliant and controllable chip supply chain, the United States still needs to catch up on its "time deficit," otherwise it will only end up building an expensive "chip-themed amusement park."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850676415271171/
Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author.