Taiwan's leading technology official stated on Saturday that it is unnecessary for a single nation to dominate the semiconductor industry, which is intricate and relies on a collaborative division of labor. This comment followed U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of Taiwan's prominence in chip manufacturing.
On Thursday, Trump reiterated his assertion that Taiwan had seized control of the semiconductor sector and expressed his desire to revitalize U.S. chip production.
Wu Cheng-wen, the head of Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council, did not directly mention Trump in a Facebook post but referenced remarks made by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te the previous day, emphasizing that Taiwan aims to be a dependable partner in the democratic semiconductor supply chain worldwide.
Wu noted that Taiwan has frequently been asked how its semiconductor industry became a global benchmark in recent years. He explained that this achievement was not simply acquired from other nations, highlighting the government's efforts to cultivate the sector since the 1970s, including the establishment of TSMC in 1987, which is now the largest contract chip manufacturer globally.
"This shows that Taiwan has invested half a century of hard work to achieve today's success, and it certainly wasn't something taken easily from other countries," he remarked.
Wu pointed out that each nation has its own strengths in semiconductor production, with Japan specializing in chemicals and equipment, while the United States excels in the design and application of innovative systems.
"The semiconductor industry is highly complex and requires precise specialisation and division of labour. Given that each country has its own unique industrial strengths, there is no need for a single nation to fully control or monopolise all technologies globally," he stated.
Wu also expressed Taiwan's readiness to serve as a base to support "friendly democratic countries" in fulfilling their roles within the semiconductor supply chain.