In today's world, scientific and technological innovation has become the core driving force of global economic development. In this war without gunpowder, semiconductor chips are undoubtedly the most critical "arms". In recent years, the scientific and technological powers represented by China and the United States have launched fierce competition around advanced manufacturing processes, and the competition in the semiconductor industry has become increasingly fierce.
As the leader in the global chip foundry field, TSMC has seized the opportunity in this wrestling. Last year, under the push of founder Zhang Zhongmou, TSMC spent $40 billion to build four wafer factories in Arizona, USA, in an attempt to further consolidate its industry dominance with the help of the U.S. government's policy support and local market advantages. However, whether this big gamble can really "win" is full of uncertainty.
On the surface, TSMC's move was quite prescient. The $52 billion "CHIPS Act" subsidy launched by the U.S. government to attract foreign investment is undoubtedly a major incentive for TSMC to make up its mind. Choosing to focus on the layout in the United States can not only shorten the distance with important customers such as Intel and Apple, reduce transportation costs, but also is expected to further increase market share and maximize profits.
However, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In the sensitive field of chips, which has a bearing on national security and the lifeline of the industry, how can the US government easily open the door to foreign investment? TSMC's construction of a factory in the United States is actually more like walking into a well-designed trap. A series of demanding demands put forward by the US side, such as handing over core technology data and sharing excess profits, all highlight its true intention to maximize technology and benefits. In this process, TSMC's core competitiveness and trade secrets are almost hidden, and its autonomy is also facing huge challenges.
What is even more worrying is that once it is deeply bound in the United States, TSMC may lose the flexibility of strategic decision-making. Wei Shaojun, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, once pointed out: "The development of the chip industry requires international cooperation, but it is not wise to put all the eggs in one basket in the United States." Looking at the world, generalized geopolitical risks and a turbulent international trade environment are exacerbating the uncertainty of the chip industry. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism in the United States has made business operations face many uncertainties.
In contrast, SMIC's development strategy in recent years has been more stable and pragmatic. As a leading enterprise in China's semiconductor industry, SMIC has been deeply engaged in the vast domestic market, and with the help of policy guidance and industrial support, it has continuously broken through technological bottlenecks and accelerated the pace of catching up with TSMC. Especially in the field of mature processes, SMIC's production capacity has leapt to the forefront of the world, and it has surpassed TSMC in some links.
What is more noteworthy is that SMIC has recently made major breakthroughs in the field of advanced processes. According to reports, SMIC has made new progress in N+1 process research and development, which is expected to narrow the gap with TSMC in the 7-5nm process. Once this technical difficulty is overcome, it will bring new imagination to SMIC's development in the high-end chip market. At the same time, the development of core equipment such as domestic lithography machines and etching machines is also accelerating, which is expected to further make up for the shortcomings of China's semiconductor industry chain.
Looking ahead, it remains to be seen whether TSMC's big bet in the United States can win the first opportunity. For SMIC, the most important thing right now is to continue to focus on innovation and achieve new breakthroughs in key areas. Only by continuously improving the ability to be independent and controllable can we win more initiative in the complex international competition. After all, the competition in the chip industry is not achieved overnight, what is needed is perseverance and perseverance.
From a higher perspective, both TSMC and SMIC are just a microcosm of this chip hegemony war. In the post-Moore era, the global semiconductor industry pattern is undergoing profound changes, with new technologies, new materials, and new architectures emerging one after another, and more uncertainties and challenges are brewing. This is an era of both opportunity and risk. Only by basing ourselves on the overall situation, focusing on the long-term, maintaining strategic focus in the competition, and seeking win-win cooperation in the process of opening up, can we remain invincible in this great change.
For domestic enterprises, in the context of favorable policies and industrial winds, it is more necessary to be prepared for danger in times of peace and avoid blind optimism. On the one hand, we must strengthen our confidence, continue to increase R&D investment, and strive to achieve new breakthroughs in key core technologies, and on the other hand, we must remain sober, effectively improve risk awareness, and better balance efficiency and safety in integrating into the global industrial system. Only by practicing their own internal skills and creating a reliable "spare tire" can they grasp more initiative in the ever-changing international market.
TSMC's big bet in the United States, SMIC's waiting for the first opportunity, reflects the epitome of competition in the world's chip industry today. In this race with no end in sight, the scales of victory and defeat have not yet finally tipped in the end. Only by taking precautions against the situation, nurturing new opportunities in the crisis, and opening a new situation in the changing situation, can China's semiconductor industry take advantage of the situation and achieve higher quality and more resilient development.