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Text|The mountains have wood, and the wood has sincerity
Editor|Mountain has wood, Ximu has 摯
The US containment of China is all-round.
In particular, the recent semiconductor constraints have had a serious impact on the development of semiconductors in China.
With the parity between the United States and China and the market needs of the United States, the restrictions of Taiwan-related enterprises in China have been relaxed. Why did the US loosen restrictions at this time? Does it have any impact on the Chinese side?
First, a new situation has emerged in the Sino-US game
The confrontation between China and the United States in the semiconductor industry has recently taken on a new situation. The United States has made a new breakthrough in the restrictions on China in the semiconductor industry, and has relaxed the restrictions on cooperation between Taiwan and China. In fact, the United States has made considerable efforts to obtain Taiwan's semiconductor cooperation, and has used nearly 560 billion yuan in capital subsidies to attract Taiwan's factories for construction.
This kind of capital attraction is indeed effective, Taiwan has abandoned the Chinese market and has chosen American customers. With U.S. subsidies, these factories can be built and invested at minimal cost. But over time, these companies in Taiwan discovered that the promises of the US side were fake.
All matters such as various equipment of the plant have been finalized and are ready to be put into use. At this time, the United States released the news that there are great conditions for obtaining subsidies for chips, and only by sharing their core technology with the United States can there be more development opportunities. Not only that, but the company's profits must also be shared with the United States.
This approach of the United States is very similar to that of India and India, and India has also adopted this shameless approach to obtain the cooperation of a large number of Chinese enterprises. Then after everything in the factory was finalized, a large number of conditions were added. In the end, the company could only admit that it compensated a large amount of liquidated damages, and the robbery behavior of the two countries was very bad.
Cooperation with the United States is hindered, and there is an urgent need to obtain a larger market. At this time, TSMC, Samsung and other overseas chip giants suddenly announced a collective visit to China, and at the same time, the United States also reported that the long-term ban on TSMC and Samsung investment in China was "lifted". All this seems to be a coincidence, but it is actually the result of the fierce game in the chip field between China and the United States.
For years, the United States has been trying to isolate China and "kick it out" of the global industrial chain. However, China's rapid economic strength has attracted multinational capital to bet on the Chinese market.
Foxconn not only did not withdraw, but also vigorously expanded in China; Successively, high-tech enterprises such as biology and energy have chosen China as a global strategic highland. This made the US side understand that it is impossible to isolate China.
Why would TSMC and Samsung visit China collectively at this time? On the one hand, the huge and stable growth of the Chinese market is a must for them; On the other hand, it is also an important move for them to get rid of the US control and strive for greater autonomy.
In the past, the United States banned them from investing in China under various pretexts, but now it has finally been released, which undoubtedly gives TSMC and Samsung a chance to breathe and change.
Interestingly, in the face of the news that TSMC may expand its production capacity in China, the voice of the Chinese mainland is not welcome, but strongly opposed.
The reason is simple, this will divide the market space of Chinese companies and affect the development of the domestic chip industry. This shows that China is no longer a simple huge market in the past, but has begun to consider its own industrial chain layout and adhere to independent innovation.
China is at an important turning point in the field of chip manufacturing. Domestic equipment and technology are making major breakthroughs, such as the key technology of EUV lithography machine, which China has successfully developed in 3 years, much faster than foreign enterprises. China's development speed in the chip industry is also very rapid, and the United States is probably worried that China's development will have an impact on itself.
This indicates that China will one day be completely self-sufficient. The United States released restrictions at this time is also to crack down on the development of Chinese chips, and the blockade measures of the United States are forcing China to accelerate the pace of independent research and development. Bill Gates once said, "It is useless to cut off supply, it will only make Chinese chips achieve self-sufficiency faster."
It can be seen that the game between China and the United States has entered a white-hot state. The United States wants to continue to control core technologies, while China hopes to end dependence as soon as possible. Behind the endless competition between the two sides, China is completing industrial upgrading at an astonishing speed, and scientific and technological self-reliance will become the general trend.
This may be the fundamental reason why chip giants such as TSMC finally chose to visit China, because they saw the huge potential of the Chinese market and industry. It is difficult to predict how the Sino-US game will evolve in the future, but China will eventually gain a firm foothold in core science and technology fields and become a real manufacturing power.
Second, the development path of Taiwan's semiconductor industry is full of wisdom
Taiwan's semiconductor industry has developed vigorously and achieved remarkable results. The reason is that in the process of developing the semiconductor industry, Taiwan has not completely copied the model of developed countries, but has formulated a unique development strategy according to its own situation.
The development of Taiwan's semiconductors is inseparable from Zhang Zhongmou's courage and resourcefulness. His unique insights into the semiconductor industry have also made Taiwan's development more prosperous.
Zhang Zhongmou started as a manager of the semiconductor industry who returned from overseas, and gradually became the chairman of the semiconductor industry as he accumulated experience. At that time, the company controlled all the processes itself, which caused a lot of waste. As a result, a model of separation of design and manufacturing was proposed.
This model has gained more recognition, and it has also made the establishment of TSMC smoother. It also advocates the concept of all-round communication, which also makes the company's costs and benefits reach the most suitable state.
In the 80s of the 20th century, Taiwan's capital and technological strength were inferior to those of the United States, Japan and other countries. If the mature IDM model is directly adopted for chip design and manufacturing, the investment will be very high and face huge risks. Taiwan has chosen to take a different path, starting with IC packaging with lower capital requirements, and gradually accumulating experience and funds. This was in line with Taiwan's comparative advantage at that time.
On this basis, Taiwan focuses on the development of wafer foundry manufacturing and is committed to providing wafer manufacturing services for internationally renowned semiconductor companies. Taiwan uses a large number of relatively cheap skilled workers to develop efficient business processes, quickly occupying this segment and becoming an important force in global foundry manufacturing. This also avoids the risk of going head-to-head with the established giants of the industry.
With this unique path, companies such as TSMC have gradually grown into world-class semiconductor manufacturers, with more influence and status. This also makes more people realize that this enterprise has more cooperation and advanced technology, and the number of orders has also poured in, and the company has achieved rapid development.
Taiwan is also accumulating strength in other high-tech fields. In the 90s of last century, Taiwan has entered the Internet era, and various network applications have begun to be popularized. Medical technology has also reached the world's leading level, organ transplantation, tumor treatment are first-class. The precision machinery manufacturing industry is also very developed, and "exquisite agriculture" is at the forefront of the world.
It can be seen that Taiwan has long been integrated into the world's advanced ranks in terms of scientific and technological innovation. The game and tension between China and the United States in the semiconductor field have highlighted Taiwan's pivotal position in this industrial chain.
In the future, Taiwan's semiconductor industry will continue to develop and grow. TSMC has begun to lay out in the mainland and form cooperation with mainland chip companies. The combination of China's vast market and Taiwan's strong technological strength will create greater synergies. Let's wait and see what new brilliance Taiwan's semiconductor industry will create next.
Third, the dilemma of Taiwan's semiconductor industry
Taiwan's semiconductor industry achievements are very prominent, especially TSMC and other enterprises in the global microchip manufacturing industry increasingly prominent, driving Taiwan's rapid economic development, per capita GDP is expected to exceed Japan and South Korea. This has made the ruling Democratic Progressive Party very excited, and intends to promote this as its own achievement. However, behind this seemingly beautiful situation, Taiwan's semiconductor industry is facing a severe talent dilemma.
Taiwanese scholar Du Zhenhua warned that excessive reliance on semiconductors could lead to "Dutch disease." The Netherlands used to run a large trade surplus from natural gas exports, while other industries declined. If Taiwan's semiconductor exports encounter geopolitical restrictions, the economy will be hit hard. Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao also pointed out the dilemma of talent shortage in Taiwan's semiconductor industry.
TSMC continues to expand its production capacity and demand a large number of talents. But NTU has a limited pool of graduates and cannot meet the demand. Taiwan's declining fertility rate has led to a decline in the overall population, disorderly distribution of higher education resources, and a continuous decline in semiconductor graduates. The talent crisis contrasts with TSMC's success.
TSMC faces competitive challenges from home and abroad. Start-ups are competing for talent, and Internet companies such as Google are offering better working conditions and attracting engineers. Foreign companies such as ASML have advantages in terms of salary. TSMC had to raise salaries and expand the scope of hiring.
What's more troublesome is that TSMC's high-intensity work culture has encountered resistance from the new generation. Employees are no longer as willing to give as they used to be. TSMC had to change its strategy, but the cultural shift did not happen overnight.
It has accelerated the pace of setting up factories overseas and recruiting local workers. Experts point out that tech workers now value their interests more and no longer just pursue high salaries. Taiwanese youth no longer want to work hard in foundries. TSMC must adapt to this change.
The development of Taiwan's semiconductor industry has been smooth for a while, but there are many hidden dangers in the long run. It is facing a serious talent shortage crisis, which is due to many reasons such as deficiencies in the island's education mechanism, declining fertility rate, and corporate culture gaps.
If such a dilemma is not broken, it will inevitably restrict the sustainable development of Taiwan's semiconductor industry. Relevant parties must face up to the problem and inject new vitality into Taiwan's semiconductor industry through systemic reform.
Fourth, the situation in the Taiwan Strait is changing, and the struggle for reunification and independence contains a crisis
The situation in the Taiwan Strait continues to be tense, and the struggle for reunification and independence has intensified. In this process, the forces of all parties have calculated their own interests, but have ignored the importance of the Taiwan Strait.
Out of strategic considerations to contain China, the United States has further muddied the situation in the Taiwan Strait. The Biden administration has publicly stated that if the mainland uses force against Taiwan, the US military will intervene to defend Taiwan. This has triggered the illusions of the Taiwan independence forces, making them further extreme.
However, the real purpose of the US side is to use the Taiwan issue to contain the mainland, but it has never really worried about the well-being of the Taiwan people. Once a conflict breaks out, the safety of the lives and property of the Taiwan people will be difficult to guarantee.
The Tsai Ing-wen administration is also cooperating with the United States and Japan to move towards confrontation. In order to curry favor with the United States and Japan, the Tsai Ing-wen administration has put the safety of the Taiwanese people at risk, which has exceeded the bottom line of a responsible government. Her actions not only encourage the Taiwan independence forces, but may also trigger uncontrollable consequences and ultimately harm the Taiwan people.
Just as external forces stirred up the Taiwan Strait, some forces within the Kuomintang that distorted the "status quo" were also waiting for an opportunity in dark corners. They pay lip service to "reunification," but deliberately blur the "one-China" principle in an attempt to maintain Taiwan's de facto separatist status. Such attempts are doomed to failure and will further exacerbate the situation.
At present, the situation in the Taiwan Strait is changing, and all forces are calculating their own interests, but they do not care about the well-being of the Taiwan people. So how to defuse the crisis and stabilize the situation?
The mainland should continue to accelerate the modernization of its military strength, paying particular attention to its ability to fight in the far seas. This not only enhances response capabilities, but also helps deter Taiwan independence forces. It is necessary to adhere to the principle of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems", win the understanding and support of more Taiwan people, and further isolate the extremist forces.
The mainland should also pay attention to the construction of soft power, strengthen exchanges with the Taiwan people, and have a favorable rating. Through exchanges in various fields such as economy and trade, culture and education, mutual understanding will be enhanced and favorable conditions will be created for the ultimate realization of the reunification of the motherland.
The mainland must also prepare for the worst. In the event of an unexpected situation, the Chinese People's Liberation Army must take decisive action to completely smash any attempt at "Taiwan independence." This is not only about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, but also the only responsible choice for Taiwan compatriots.
The unpredictable situation in the Taiwan Strait is full of both crises and hopes. The mainland should strive to argue according to reason, and the benevolent should see the difference, and resolve differences. At the same time, we must also be fully prepared to crack down on any "Taiwan independence" act at any time and resolutely defend the great cause of national reunification.
summary
Taiwan has had many contradictions and cooperation with the mainland recently.
It is still unknown how the future development will be, but it is believed that the mainland's strength will one day break through to catch up with the United States. Taiwan will eventually return to the motherland.