US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says if China were to reunify with Taiwan, the US would be devastated due to the ramifications that would hold for the chips market.
I wonder if the US simps on that island even realize that’s the real reason they’re invested in the place, the empire never does anything out of the goodness of their heart, lol
When I'm bored I bait libs by telling them that as soon as the fabs in Arizona are spun up and producing at capacity the US will forget where Taiwan even is. Their denials give me strength.
Yeah, have a degree focused on chip making. There's going to be something like 50k jobs not filled and a lot are highly technical. Many STEMlords are not interested in a job that forces you into a cleanroom in a less than ideal location when they could code or do other jobs that are remote/ based in a large metro for as much or more
US needs to heavily incentivize these programs in schools and find a way to raise pay for the positions if they ever hope to outcompete Taiwan
This is the really bonkers part. Fabs use ridiculous amounts of water. Whoever thought that about-to-be-walloped-by-climate-change Arizona was a good spot is either insane or part of some sort of grift.
The only things the US is good at building are financial scams and skinner boxes. Any time they try to build something like a road or a factory, it costs a bazillion dollars and takes 10 years.
I've been thinking probably in our lifetime we could see Taiwan lose all of it's wealth once the Americans (and probably Europe too) have got done robbing them blind.
"Hey, help us build those fancy chip factories over in America. Oops it's our technology now. Too bad".
The US has historically dumped the RoC out on their ass the moment that they could benefit more from closer ties with the PRC. The concentration of the semiconductor industry is the only reason we give them the time a day, and even the sclerotic US empire has identified that as an unacceptable risk and is moving to diversify its suppliers. It's entirely possible that those efforts will fail, and the RoC will maintain it's importance... but if the PRC and other countries catch up, then the US will be like "lol, smell ya later losers, we're buying all our chips from Guangzhou now". If that happens, then I could imagine that reunification efforts will pick up steam.
China is already the largest producer of non-hyper advanced chips. These are in consumer and infrastructure goods and even a lot of military tech that the US and Europe use. Despite sanctioning them for everything chip related, the US is already scared that china will do the same to the west over the more common chips lol. And guess what their proposed solution is? More sanctions against china. Because that’s how you improve relations
I can’t say I agree with this. Smart or stupid has little do with it. The RoC had their teeth kicked in by the PLA and were forced to become a protectorate of the capitalist hegemon or face the People’s justice.
The fact that they have managed to position themselves as an indispensable producer in the global supply chain has served them really well so far, and I don’t think they’re unaware of it.
The US pushing for a tech transfer is a massive threat to their security, and I’m sure it’s not happening without enormous pressure and not a little push back. I’m certain that the difficulties faced by the new projects are at least in part deliberate on the part of the Taiwanese.
I very much agree, and I think that TSMC is intentionally sabotaging the effort to build fabs in US because they realize that they won't be needed once US has domestic fabs and trained personnel to operate them.
I wonder if they’re getting help from the PRC to do this since it’s in both of their interests to keep production in china. Reminds me of this anecdote I read about the KGB working with the CIA post dissolution to protect nuclear storages from the mob
I don't think they really need any help there. It's basically just a case of TSMC dragging their feet on everything. Amusingly, US incompetence is probably the most help here. From what I've read, the fab projects are all running massively over budget, there's lack of skilled workers, etc.
I don't know what the timeline actually looks like but its gonna be both funny and sad just how many people screaming "TAIWAN IS A COUNTRY" anytime the words Chinese Taipei get whispered just straight up evaporate when the inevitable happens. Its hilarious how literally none of them have any clue why they give a shit about what the region is named.
I wonder if the US simps on that island even realize that’s the real reason they’re invested in the place, the empire never does anything out of the goodness of their heart, lol
When I'm bored I bait libs by telling them that as soon as the fabs in Arizona are spun up and producing at capacity the US will forget where Taiwan even is. Their denials give me strength.
considering all the problems they are having finding competent usians it could be a while
Yeah, have a degree focused on chip making. There's going to be something like 50k jobs not filled and a lot are highly technical. Many STEMlords are not interested in a job that forces you into a cleanroom in a less than ideal location when they could code or do other jobs that are remote/ based in a large metro for as much or more
US needs to heavily incentivize these programs in schools and find a way to raise pay for the positions if they ever hope to outcompete Taiwan
Is there any reason cleanrooms have to be in the middle of Nowhere, Arizona? Besides prices of course.
No
They are also picking a drought stricken area for fab chips, lmao
This is the really bonkers part. Fabs use ridiculous amounts of water. Whoever thought that about-to-be-walloped-by-climate-change Arizona was a good spot is either insane or part of some sort of grift.
The majority of Arizona's water goes to agriculture which would be impacted more by climate change (currently using ~6000 gigalitres a year)
Compare that with
Bombing Taiwan and evacuating their scientists is a good way to get your US plants up. It’s why they keep insisting china is about to go to war.
The only things the US is good at building are financial scams and skinner boxes. Any time they try to build something like a road or a factory, it costs a bazillion dollars and takes 10 years.
I've been thinking probably in our lifetime we could see Taiwan lose all of it's wealth once the Americans (and probably Europe too) have got done robbing them blind.
"Hey, help us build those fancy chip factories over in America. Oops it's our technology now. Too bad".
I'd be shocked if the US doesn't dump the RoC in the next 5-10 years.
The US has historically dumped the RoC out on their ass the moment that they could benefit more from closer ties with the PRC. The concentration of the semiconductor industry is the only reason we give them the time a day, and even the sclerotic US empire has identified that as an unacceptable risk and is moving to diversify its suppliers. It's entirely possible that those efforts will fail, and the RoC will maintain it's importance... but if the PRC and other countries catch up, then the US will be like "lol, smell ya later losers, we're buying all our chips from Guangzhou now". If that happens, then I could imagine that reunification efforts will pick up steam.
I think America will shoot itself in both of its feet
China is already the largest producer of non-hyper advanced chips. These are in consumer and infrastructure goods and even a lot of military tech that the US and Europe use. Despite sanctioning them for everything chip related, the US is already scared that china will do the same to the west over the more common chips lol. And guess what their proposed solution is? More sanctions against china. Because that’s how you improve relations
the west is so smart
I mean if they were smart enough to realize they're just pawns they wouldn't be in the position they're in.
I can’t say I agree with this. Smart or stupid has little do with it. The RoC had their teeth kicked in by the PLA and were forced to become a protectorate of the capitalist hegemon or face the People’s justice.
The fact that they have managed to position themselves as an indispensable producer in the global supply chain has served them really well so far, and I don’t think they’re unaware of it.
The US pushing for a tech transfer is a massive threat to their security, and I’m sure it’s not happening without enormous pressure and not a little push back. I’m certain that the difficulties faced by the new projects are at least in part deliberate on the part of the Taiwanese.
I very much agree, and I think that TSMC is intentionally sabotaging the effort to build fabs in US because they realize that they won't be needed once US has domestic fabs and trained personnel to operate them.
I wonder if they’re getting help from the PRC to do this since it’s in both of their interests to keep production in china. Reminds me of this anecdote I read about the KGB working with the CIA post dissolution to protect nuclear storages from the mob
I don't think they really need any help there. It's basically just a case of TSMC dragging their feet on everything. Amusingly, US incompetence is probably the most help here. From what I've read, the fab projects are all running massively over budget, there's lack of skilled workers, etc.
I don't know what the timeline actually looks like but its gonna be both funny and sad just how many people screaming "TAIWAN IS A COUNTRY" anytime the words Chinese Taipei get whispered just straight up evaporate when the inevitable happens. Its hilarious how literally none of them have any clue why they give a shit about what the region is named.
They understand perfectly well
From my reading, the people are way less US worshipping than Philippines or Vietnam
And TSMC of course. No idea about the Taiwan government