This is a straight-up national security issue for Taiwan. Its chip factories are an integral part of its defence strategy and it needs to be able to use them as leverage to survive.
In which case Taiwan Province should refuse American demands to build chip factories in the US. If Taiwan’s strategic value comes from microchips then the US not having it’s own domestic supply prevents the US from walking away.
On the other hand, reunification has been a core interest for China since long before microchips were even a thing. You could Thanos snap all the chip foundries away tomorrow and the Chinese interest in reunification would not substantially diminish.
Taiwan’s (the Republic of China’s) alliance with the United States and general defence strategy has a few key factors:
- Taiwan is counting on maintaining a key role in the United States’ high-tech economy. One where, if the island of Taiwan were to fall under the control of the mainland, American economic interests would be severely damaged. The existence of semiconductor factories in America doesn’t affect this calculus too much as long as a critical mass of manufacturing stays in Taiwan. In fact, tying Taiwan’s economy to the United States is beneficial because it means the pain of separating it will be greater, and hopefully the fear of such pain will make the Americans want to protect them.
- Taiwan believes that its location is of strategic importance to the United States’ South Asian military interests. If the island falls under mainland control, it would mean that the US military can no longer access the large amount of airspace surrounding the island and would lose access to the island’s naval facilities.
- Taiwan thinks that it can make a war with the mainland so costly for the latter that it would not make economic sense to invade. This is unrelated to the US; ideology takes a backseat to making money almost anywhere in the world and the Taiwanese know this.
- Taiwan thinks it can rely on popular and government support in America to defend it in the event of an invasion. Public support for Taiwan’s continued autonomous existence is quite high in the US and even Joe Biden’s sometimes erratic comments about the topic are enough to make leaders in Beijing think twice before invading. The Americans are unpredictable and they don’t want to leave it up to a roll of the dice.
Taiwan is counting on maintaining a key role in the United States’ high-tech economy. One where, if the island of Taiwan were to fall under the control of the mainland, American economic interests would be severely damaged. The existence of semiconductor factories in America doesn’t affect this calculus too much as long as a critical mass of manufacturing stays in Taiwan. In fact, tying Taiwan’s economy to the United States is beneficial because it means the pain of separating it will be greater, and hopefully the fear of such pain will make the Americans want to protect them.
Exactly my point. The interest of Taiwan Province is to have the critical mass of such manufacturing stay in the RoC, whereas the interest of the US is to have the critical mass of such manufacturing move to the US. Given these divergent strategic interests, it is the best interest of the RoC to sell chips to the US instead of allowing the US to make its own chips. The US doesn’t have a supply alternative to TSMC yet, so exporting RoC tech and factories to the US is weakening the RoC position and creating their own competitor (assuming the US doesn’t fuck up its own factories).
I would like to remind you that there does not exist any political entity called “Taiwan Province”. The Republic of China abolished its provincial governments and the People’s Republic of China doesn’t even bother to maintain a shadow government.
I refer you to ISO 3166-2:TW where the territory in question is designated “Taiwan, Province of China” or “Taiwan (Province of China)”. I do take the liberty of shortening out the “of China” but I am happy to refer to the territory by its full name if you will agree to do the same.
If you have any issues with the designation, I encourage you to take it up with the International Standards Organization.
I will cut to the chase here and say that the only reason for calling it “Taiwan Province” is if you are (1) a Chinese nationalist, (2) a Chinese propagandist, or (3) a person who got absorbed by (2). Nobody else in ordinary English discourse will refer to it as such. The typical usage is to call the Republic of China “Taiwan”. Its government calls itself the “Republic of China (Taiwan)”. Normal people call it “Taiwan”. Taiwanese people call it “Taiwan”. Don’t forget; the “free area” of the Republic of China has two nominal provinces—Taiwan and Fuchien.
ISO standards are dry and mechanical, and most importantly, not designed to supplant everyday usage by humans. That is unless you also tend to write the date as 2023-10-03 and not the far more common “3 October 2023” or “October 3, 2023”. The ISO standard refers to Taiwan Province, which is a province of the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China, however, neither province has a government and neither makes decisions on its own.
The common name for the area controlled by the Republic of China is “Taiwan”. “Taiwan Province” is a Chinese nationalist dog whistle and there is nothing you can say to get around this fact.
I will cut to the chase here and say that the only reason for not calling it “Taiwan Province” is if you are (1) an American Imperialist, (2) a Japanese Imperialist, or (3) a running dog of one or both types of imperialist.
It doesn’t matter to me what “normal people” call Taiwan Province because the vast majority of what you consider normal people are completely ignorant of the topic, the history, and the legal political situation.
You don’t get a say in what terminology I choose to use. Your insistence on prescribing what exact terminology I can and cannot use dances on the border of pointless liberal semantic nitpicking and petty fascist power play.
No amount of semantic maneuvering on your part will change the fact that Taiwan, Province of China is recognized by international law and the vast majority of the countries of the world as being a part of China. No amount of quibbling over words or pidgeom holing me into your imaginary categories will change the fact that the vast majority of countries and international law recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate governmemt of China.
China is helping China develop Chinese chips?
Republic of China ≠ People’s republic of China.
Well yes. One is the result of a bloodthirsty and corrupt military dictatorship which is directly responsible for the deaths of millions, whereas the other is the People’s Republic of China.
However, both are China as you can see from the names they’ve chosen for themselves.
One is one of the most democratic countries in the world and PRC is one of the most undemocratic countries of the world.
“one of the most democratic countries in the world” might be a bit of a stretch here
Democracy is when you spend several decades murdering and repressing all leftist political opposition. The more leftists to murder and suppress, the more democratic it is.
- State Department Handbook, probably
Democracy is when the people can vote for their politicians instead of countries like the PRC where they are forced.
If you were forced to vote for people would you be satisfied or dissatisfied with your government?
Then why does China have a 95.5% approval rating for their government that spans 15 years?
There is only one China, according to about 180 countries on earth. That includes USA. FYI, Taiwan never expressed a want for independence because Taiwan itself wants reunification with China. Ever thought of it?
Yeah. Not many know that Taiwan is the true China, waiting for the mainland
Its the opposite, but go on.
I think it’s time to bring some democracy and freedom to Taiwan.
I had to check up on your account due to that statement. Got freaked for a moment. Danger is averted.
