TSMC has officially started the production of 3nm chips, which will also be used in the next iPhones but there are several historical and political implications behind the power of this company that operates in Taiwan and China’s ambitions that could trigger a war
TSMC has announced the official start of mass production of the 3-nanometer chips.
The news in itself is very positive because the use of these processors translates into a 10-15% improvement in performance at the same consumption or is quantified in an improvement of 25-30% in terms of consumption at the same speed compared to the previous generation.
However, problems arise on another front, namely the conflicts between China and Taiwan. Basically, the United States has put many Chinese factories on a blacklist, which prohibits American companies from doing business with them. Taiwan-based TSMC, on the other hand, is the main chip supplier to Apple and other American companies. It is therefore a very important outlet for the United States which sends large amounts of money in exchange for processors.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) operates according to the “One China Policy” (only one China) and wants to see Taiwan recognized as part of its territory, consequently also grabbing all the factories (which are not on the blacklist) to increase its power and your own ambitions.
For several years now there has been talking of the possibility of a war between the two territories, a war which for the moment would seem to be held back only because of COVID and the Zero-Covid policy which makes a clash in fact impossible.
TSMC is well aware of this situation and also the United States, so much so that the factory has announced the opening of a huge foundry in Arizona by 2024. The factory will also be destined for the production of 3 nm chips and is the fruit of a $40 billion investment, one of the largest foreign investments in US history.
In order not to create tensions, today during the announcement of the start of chip production in Taiwan, TSMC wanted to reassure the island’s government, worried about the company’s progressive disengagement from the Taiwanese reality.
TSMC wanted to underline how the island of Taiwan, despite geopolitical tensions, remains central to the company’s future plans:
TSMC will continue to maintain its technology leadership by investing significantly in Taiwan. We will continue to thrive and invest on the island, with an eye to sustainability,” the company’s CEO, Mark Liu, said in his speech. TSMC will take concrete actions to develop advanced technology and expand its capacity in Taiwan.
In short, the factory in Arizona will serve to ensure a certain quantity of chips to Apple which will be a little less dependent on China but TSMC has promised that it will not leave Taiwan and will continue to invest despite the tensions with China. Furthermore, the production decentralization of TSMC could make Taiwan a “less attractive” place for China, thus also avoiding the possibility of a terrible conflict.
Recent Comments