It is widely known that Huawei being targeted by American chip restrictions is just the beginning. The ultimate goals are twofold: to prevent the rise of China’s semiconductor industry and to support the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry. Clearly, this represents 100% unfair competition. However, due to pressure from the U.S., many companies can only comply, lacking the strength to resist!
Among them, the top two semiconductor manufacturers, TSMC and Samsung, have also been targeted by the U.S. Despite not being American companies, in terms of supply chains, technology, and equipment, it’s fair to say that TSMC and Samsung are also subject to American hegemony and have no choice but to acquiesce.
On one hand, after the U.S. changed the chip rules, TSMC had to stop making chips for Huawei according to the new regulations, leading TSMC to lose its second-largest customer and making its customer base more singular and potentially riskier. On the other hand, to utilize TSMC and Samsung for its benefit, under the guise of an “invitation” and using a $52 billion subsidy as “bait,” the U.S. asked TSMC and Samsung to build factories in America.
Knowing that building factories in the U.S. would be costlier and core technologies and data might be “stolen,” TSMC and Samsung had no other choice but to proceed. However, after TSMC and Samsung invested tens of billions of dollars in building factories, the promised subsidies from the U.S. were delayed. The U.S. even set up a series of “guardrail clauses” to prevent TSMC and Samsung from receiving subsidies, which was extremely ungraceful.
One clause specifically required foreign companies applying for U.S. chip subsidies, like TSMC and Samsung, to hand over technical data and customer information. Clearly, this move was the “last straw” for TSMC and Samsung, leaving them utterly disillusioned and finally seeing the reality—this was a scheme of gaining from others without giving anything in return. In this situation, TSMC also made a new move, delaying the U.S. factory plan and deciding to halt subsidy applications, which was akin to publicly stating— the U.S. factory plan is halted!
But this was just the beginning. After the indefinite postponement of the U.S. factory plans, TSMC increased its investment domestically. Its 1nm advanced process wafer fab will be built in the Chiayi Science Park, with 100 hectares of land, 60 hectares for the 1nm wafer fab and 40 hectares for the packaging plant. After the “U.S. factory” farce, TSMC chose to keep its most advanced wafer fabs and manufacturing technologies in its homeland, clearly indicating its stance.
After the news of TSMC’s 1nm fab construction broke, American media became uneasy, stating that “Morris Chang is ultimately not one of us.” In fact, besides TSMC’s change in stance, Samsung also stopped complying. Samsung also delayed the operational start of its U.S. plant and openly called out the U.S. government: without the subsidies, it would not proceed with the U.S. factory construction. This act was like tearing off the “fig leaf” of U.S. chip subsidies, revealing the truth to the world.
It’s noteworthy that TSMC and Samsung had to go through great difficulties for a small amount of subsidy, while Intel, the “favored child” of the U.S., could easily take away a large portion of the subsidy. This so-called “invitation” to build factories in the U.S. actually conceals risks.
In summary, this incident clarifies that TSMC and Samsung possess a certain degree of influence because they hold core technologies. If Chinese companies want to be tougher and more advanced, they must grasp core technologies in their own hands and continue to insist on independent research and development. There are no shortcuts! Only by possessing more self-developed technologies can they be fearless of sanctions and blockades and truly achieve independence and self-reliance!
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