WASHINGTON — On Monday (November 21), Zhang Zhongmou, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., who went to Thailand to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Summit on behalf of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, said that he had a pleasant interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the summit. Congratulating Xi Jinping on the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China "is his own opinion", and the only instruction given to him by the presidential palace before his departure is that there is no need to avoid meeting or greeting Xi Jinping. He also confirmed that TSMC plans to produce the most advanced 3nm chips in the United States in the next phase.Zhang Zhongmou made the above remarks at a press conference held by the Taiwan Presidential Palace to explain the process of participating in the APEC summit. At the press conference, a reporter asked him about the fact that he congratulated Xi Jinping on the success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China when he interacted with Xi Jinping at the press conference in Bangkok, asking whether the Presidential Palace had previously addressed the issue of possible interactions with Xi Jinping during the summit I had a sand table deduction with him, what is his attitude towards congratulating Xi Jinping on the success of the 20th National Congress of the President, "Is it respect, affirmation, or feeling inappropriate?"
He Xi Jinping is my own idea
Zhang Zhongmou said that his congratulations on Xi Jinping's success at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China "is his own opinion", and the "only instruction" given to him by the Presidential Palace is: "If there is an opportunity, there is no need to avoid meeting or greeting."
"As for my congratulations on Xi Jinping's achievements at the 20th National Congress, and my own talk about my own health, these are all my own ideas."
After Zhang Zhongmou's answer, Xu Sijian, deputy secretary-general of Taiwan's presidential office, immediately added that President Tsai Ing-wen had specifically asked him to convey, "The president expressed respect for the interaction between Leader Zhang's representative and Xi Jinping."
Zhang Zhongmou introduced his interaction with Xi Jinping at the APEC press conference in Bangkok last Saturday (November 19).
"We said hello to each other when he came into the lounge yesterday morning. I congratulated him on his 20th success."
Zhang Zhongmou said that Xi Jinping mentioned that he remembered that the two met at the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea four years ago. He greeted Zhang Zhongmou, and Zhang Zhongmou replied that he had undergone hip surgery last year. "He told me, You look very good now. It is very pleasant and polite to have such interactions. "
Plans to produce 3nm chips in the US
In addition, Zhang Zhongmou also confirmed at the press conference that TSMC plans to produce 3-nanometer high-end chips (wafers) with the most advanced production process in Taiwan in the United States. 5nm chips are currently the most advanced process TSMC is producing in the United States.
Recently, there have been international concerns about the over-concentration of chips and supply chains in Taiwan. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said last week that Europe is too dependent on Taiwan for chips.
A reporter asked Zhang Zhongmou what he thought of the "de-Taiwanization" of semiconductor production in some countries.
Zhang Zhongmou said that the chip is a very important product, but everyone has "suddenly realized it" recently, so "there are many people who are jealous!" He said that many people are "envious of Taiwan's good chip production", and many people Many people envy.
"So there are many people who want to produce more chips in their countries for various reasons, whether it is for national security or to make money. When I visited APEC this time, several countries told me that they could Being able to go to their country to their country to produce chips.”
Zhang Zhongmou did not disclose which countries want TSMC to invest in setting up factories to produce chips. TSMC, he said, "wouldn't be able to spread production across so many places."
Regarding whether TSMC has plans to transfer the most advanced chip manufacturing process to other countries, Zhang Zhongmou said that the current plant that TSMC is going to open in Arizona is the most advanced 5-nanometer chip in the United States, but in Taiwan, TSMC already has a 3-nanometer chip manufacturing process. . He explained that 5nm is the "n-1" generation of TSMC's latest process, "N" represents the most advanced, and -1 (minus 1) represents the most advanced "next generation", so 5nm is 3nm The next generation, but it is the most advanced process in the United States, TSMC will produce this chip in Arizona.
The reporter asked again: "Is it possible to go there after 3 nanometers?" Zhang Zhongmou replied: "Yes, yes, after that. After 5 nanometers."
Secretary of Commerce to attend TSMC ceremony
The press release of Taiwan’s Presidential Office said that Zhang Zhongmou also pointed out at the press conference that TSMC “has a plan for 3nm production in the United States, and it is almost finalized. It will be on the same site in Arizona. 5nm is the first The first stage, 3 nanometers is the second stage."
TSMC's US$12 billion chip factory in Arizona is scheduled to hold a "machine-on" ceremony on December 6. Zhang Zhongmou said that in addition to the TSMC "Grand Alliance" (TSMC Grand Alliance) and In addition to local governors, congressmen and dignitaries, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo has also promised to attend. He said that TSMC also sent an invitation to President Biden, but he did not know if there was a reply.
Although TSMC is welcome to invest in the production of chips in the United States, the Biden administration is also stepping up efforts to strengthen the local production of chips in the United States. The $280 billion "Chip and Science Act of 2022" includes $52 billion to support the United States. semiconductor industry.
In a public speech in September, U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen also expressed concern that "Taiwan is the only country in the world that is the world's most advanced source of semiconductors." She believes that this is a "resilience risk and a national security risk."
Producing semiconductors in the United States to stabilize the supply chain
Last week, at a forum on US-Taiwan economic and trade cooperation at George Washington University, Riley Walters, deputy director of the Japan Program at the Hudson Institute, expressed this view. From the US perspective, The United States wants to reduce its dependence on Taiwan and encourages companies to produce in the United States. However, Taiwanese companies will not transfer all production to the United States, but hope to have a closer cooperative relationship with the United States.
"Taiwanese companies, on the other hand, also know they won't transfer all of their production. Maybe they can transfer a percentage, but at the same time, they prefer new partnerships and look for some way to ensure that the relationship actually closer together rather than more bifurcated or separated."
Waters said that he hopes that U.S. officials will not be so pessimistic and look bad when talking about the U.S. semiconductor industry, because the U.S. does not want to cooperate with Taiwan. Most of the semiconductors produced in the United States, rather than from the international supply.
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the U.S. State Department, Kurt Tong, said that in the past, the U.S. had asked South Korea to produce semiconductors in the U.S. as it did with Taiwan, but now they are pushing back against U.S. pressure, telling the U.S.: We are friends, Why can't it be produced in our country? Tang Weikang believes that in the next 10 years, companies and governments of other countries will have some bargaining with the United States, because this is a very complicated issue, which involves elements of competition, friendship and strategy.
Wang Weizheng, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Adelphi University in the United States, said that he would rather look at the United States' stance on the semiconductor industry from the perspective of a decentralized market. He believes that the United States only wants to ensure that the supply of semiconductors is safe, not to have real production capacity.
"Obviously, it would be a huge project for the United States to re-manufacture the entire supply chain. In fact, it is better for the United States to maintain friendly relations with Taiwan and South Korea, and everyone can cooperate with each other. What is more important is to ensure stable supply rather than Not actually owning them. I think former TSMC Chairman Zhongmou Chang expressed the position that if you try to remanufacture the whole thing in the U.S., you just can’t do it.”
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