The new controversy that is beginning in Taiwan shows how important the giant TSMC is for the future of the country.
In Taiwan, electronics are king, as shown by the next presidential elections, the polls of which will be held on January 13. There had already been the interference of Foxconn founder Terry Gou, who wanted to be a candidate for a long time before finally giving up. And today, it is TSMC’s turn to see its name put in the spotlight during the political debates at the start of the year.
Could TSMC suffer from geopolitical frictions?
When it comes to political attack, nothing beats the economic argument. This is what Jaw Shaw-kong, candidate for the country’s vice-president on the Kuomintang party ticket, led by Hou Yu-ih, must have said to himself. He explained in a televised debate that the policy pursued by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (PDP) was not conducive to foreign investment.
“ If Taiwan does not have a peaceful environment, no one will dare to invest » he explained. And to illustrate his point, he explained that, under the presidency of Tsai Ing-Wen, “ our TSMC wants to go abroad. “Taiwan plus one” – one factory in Taiwan, one abroad, empty our Taiwan of its substance. »
Speaking of ” Taiwan plus one » Jaw Shaw-kong refers to the concept of “China plus one”, adopted by many companies to diversify and not be totally dependent on China. For him, TSMC’s various projects to build factories in Japan, the United States and Germany share the same intention, in the face of fears of war between China and Taiwan.
The Kuomintang plays the peace card
For the same man, these fears would originate from the intransigent behavior adopted by President Tsai Ing-Wen during her two terms, the latter assuming a more confrontational attitude towards Beijing.
His party, the Kuomintang, heir to the Chinese nationalists who fled to Taiwan with Chiang-Kai Shek in 1949 after their defeat in the Chinese civil war, is historically closer to China than the DPP. Its candidate for the 2024 election Hou Yu-ih accuses the DPP of wanting war against Beijing, positioning itself on the contrary as an actor of peace.
“ Next year’s elections are a choice between war and peace. If people want peace, prosperity, corruption-free government and cross-Strait stability, they should vote for the KMT [ndlr : le Kuomintang] » he repeated several times.
For her part, PDP vice-presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim spoke out against the politicization of the country’s most important company: “ TSMC is the pride of Taiwan and should not be used for competition or political consumption. It is our sacred mountain that protects the country. »
Source : Reuters
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