Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun on Tuesday speaks at a press conference about US-Taiwan trade deal in Taipei. A general view in June last year of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s fabrication plant in Kaohsiung. A woman in July 2023 walks past a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company logo at the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu. Critics have voiced concerns about Taiwan’s semiconductor industry being “hollowed out.” This is far less of a concern than it appears. China could not take over Taiwan’s semiconductor industry even if it invaded because it would be starved out of existence through sanctions, and they lack the know-how to operate it.

Source: Taipei Times January 22, 2026 00:45 UTC