Companies such as the world's biggest contract chipmaker, Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, are major suppliers to the
likes of Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc, as well as Chinese firms
like Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.
In July, TSMC said it had stopped taking new orders from Huawei
in May and did not plan to ship wafers after Sept. 15,
responding to U.S. curbs on supplying the Chinese company, which
the Trump administration views as a security threat.
China, for its part, is trying to nurture tech champions of its
own, such as SMIC, its biggest chipmaker, and wean itself off
reliance on U.S. suppliers.
Taiwan's chipmakers were a crucial part of the global supply
chain, Tsaid told a meeting of semiconductor company
representatives in Taipei, including TSMC Chairman Mark Liu.
"We attach great importance to this strategic industry, and will
actively assist the industry in solving problems, to continue to
consolidate the advantages of Taiwan's semiconductor industry,
and to accelerate transformation and development," the
presidential office cited Tsai as saying.
Turning Taiwan into an advanced semiconductor processing centre
is a key government effort, she added.
"The focus of future development includes localisation of
material supplies, technology autonomy, localisation of foreign
equipment manufacturing, and localisation of advanced assembly
equipment."
The policies will be adopted one by one, to ensure "more
abundant technical energy" for the industry and a complete
industrial supply chain to enhance its key global role, she
added.
Tsai hoped the joint efforts of the government and the private
sector would boost the competitiveness of the industry in
Taiwan, so that it can be a global bellwether.
On Wednesday, TSMC's Liu said the deleveraging of China-U.S.
supply chains and protectionism on both sides of the Pacific
would only drive up costs and limit the flow of ideas.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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