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Taiwan tycoon pledges $100m to defend island from ‘evil’ China

Daniel Nenni

Admin
Staff member
I would definitely donate to this cause. It is time for the international community to start supporting Taiwan more openly. The entire world literally depends on Taiwan for technology that is critical to modern life. What part of that statement do US politicians not understand? If you want to see a real chip shortage let China blockade Taiwan.


A Taiwanese microchip tycoon has pledged $100m (£82m) towards his country’s defenses and urged citizens to stand up to the “evil” Chinese Communist Party.

In a spirited press conference, Robert Tsao said he was donating the money to Taiwan’s defense department to help safeguard “freedom, democracy, and human rights”.

The 75-year-old urged people to “stand up and fight” rather than give way to “unification with a gang of outlaws”.

His comments came hours after China sent ballistic missiles streaking over the Taiwanese mainland, including the capital Taipea, while fighter jets buzzed the island’s defences.

Beijing’s “unprecedented” show of force, which also includes four days of military exercises ending on Sunday, is meant as a punishment after Taiwan hosted a visit from Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, earlier this week.

Mr Tsao said the displays of military might showed why Taiwanese voters should not support parties that backed unification with China in upcoming local elections.

He is the founder of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), one of the world’s biggest chip makers and Taiwan’s second largest behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC).

Mr Tsao urged his fellow citizens to “see through the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party”, according to Taiwan News.

He said: “The nature of the CCP is rogues acting against the rule of law, and this was manifested by their endless power struggles since 1927, the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s, and persecutions against various groups today.”

He also accused Beijing of “acting so despotically towards Taiwan”, adding: “Perhaps they think Taiwanese people all fear death and covet money?”

The tycoon is one of several business figures to speak up for the island in recent months.

His two sons hold Taiwan citizenship and he has previously revealed that one of them has completed military training while the other is to be trained in the summer.

He said they would both fight if China’s military launches an invasion.

Separately, the boss of TSMC said this week that no one could control the company’s chip foundries “by force”, suggesting that the facilities could be remotely switched off or rendered useless to any occupiers.

Mark Liu, chairman of TSMC, said: “If you take a military force or invasion, you will render the TSMC factory non-operable, because it is such a sophisticated manufacturing facility.”

Responding to recent Chinese military displays, Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen has insisted the island will firmly defend its sovereignty.

“We are calm and not impetuous, we are rational and not provocative, but we will also be firm and not shirk,” she said.

Mr Tsao claimed there was little need to speculate over whether China would ultimately use force to take Taiwan.

“They definitely will, but strength is not enough," he told journalists, arguing that the communist leadership in Beijing were "hooligans" who "only believe in violence”.

He pointed to the recent crackdown in Hong Kong and said China had betrayed its promise to allow the former British territory to retain some freedoms under the "One China, Two Systems" policy.

And he predicted that Taiwanese businesspeople would begin to abandon China after years of previous investment.

"I believe all of them will leave, one after the other, because China’s economic prosperity has already passed and domestic troubles will increase going forward, the economy will stop growing, problems with loans will continue to explode, plus locking down cities will cause the economy to decline. Taiwanese businesspeople should leave China’s cities.”
 
From time to time, there are quarrels between friends, girl friends, boy friends, schoolmates, brothers, sisters, and neighbors. They can say very nasty things to each other but recover from it to be good friends again. As long as they can keep it verbal.

But if one of them brought a kitchen knife to your front door and he/she was waving that knife left and right in front of you, the relationship will end with few chances to salvage it.

How incredibly stupid the CCP is.
 
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Respectfully, I think the cause for maintaining freedom for the Taiwanese people is an even better cause than making chips for supporting them.
 
Respectfully, I think the cause for maintaining freedom for the Taiwanese people is an even better cause than making chips for supporting them.

Of course and we should never forget that. Unfortunately, after previous lost wars (to many list), maintaining freedom will not get the world's attention anymore. I really do wonder if the silicon shield was part of the master plan for Taiwan back in the 1970s/80s. I am not smart enough to think at that level but I would not doubt it.
 
Respectfully, I think the cause for maintaining freedom for the Taiwanese people is an even better cause than making chips for supporting them.
I don't see a realistic alternative that allows this situation to end well, for anyone. Perhaps if Xi loses re-election, but that doesn't look realistic.
 
I don't see a realistic alternative that allows this situation to end well, for anyone. Perhaps if Xi loses re-election, but that doesn't look realistic.
Unfortunately I agree. The only real path forward without bodies is a change from within China.

China is undergoing a demographic timebomb right now (this decade) - a rapidly aging population, and like Russia, that generally leads to less stability.

I know the CHIPs act is hugely unpopular here but that and the Pelosi visit to Taiwan are at least a little better than literally doing nothing. Hopefully we see more carefully handled public support for Taiwan from more nations.
 
Unfortunately I agree. The only real path forward without bodies is a change from within China.

China is undergoing a demographic timebomb right now (this decade) - a rapidly aging population, and like Russia, that generally leads to less stability.

I know the CHIPs act is hugely unpopular here but that and the Pelosi visit to Taiwan are at least a little better than literally doing nothing. Hopefully we see more carefully handled public support for Taiwan from more nations.
Agree on the demographic issue. I don't agree that Pelosi's trip was helpful. I know it was heartening to the people of Taiwan to see such a strong show of support from such a senior US politician, but the cost in angering the Chinese was too high. IMO, she should have stayed home.

As for the CHIPS Plus Act, it's done, so complaining about it is unproductive. Of course, that doesn't mean I'll stop...
 
Agree on the demographic issue. I don't agree that Pelosi's trip was helpful. I know it was heartening to the people of Taiwan to see such a strong show of support from such a senior US politician, but the cost in angering the Chinese was too high. IMO, she should have stayed home.

As for the CHIPS Plus Act, it's done, so complaining about it is unproductive. Of course, that doesn't mean I'll stop...
FWIW, I'm not really a fan of Pelosi, but I thought it was brave of her to go.

How can the US Govt actually show support for the people of Taiwan without angering the Chinese govt? I can't think of a pro-Taiwan scenario, or a visit from any official, that wouldn't cause some angst? I think sending the #3 just puts the seeds of doubt that we would ignore an invasion of Taiwan.

and lol no problem on CHIPs :). I agree with most of the reasons I see here, but subsidies (unfortunately imo) happen everywhere, and I think there's a strong strategic DoD argument here - even if we're talking 10-20 years in the future. The supply chain will evolve over time.
 
I think this a watershed moment. It's because CCP's actions before, during, and after Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit and it's not because Nancy Pelosi's visit itself.

From now on, both US executive branch and legislative branch will actively pursue decoupling from mainland China. No matter it is Republican or Democrat in charge of the Whitehouse, they will be on the same track to isolate PRC/CCP's influence.

To semiconductor industry, this will have several implications:

First, we will see more strict software, hardware, materials, and IP licensing restrictions on PRC.

Second, more restrictions will be imposed on American (or European, Japanese, Taiwanese) companies to do business or investing in PRC by Western, Japanese, and Taiwanese governments.

Third, more collaborations between US, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea in economy, technology, and trade.

Fourth, large funding will be given to TSMC in order to bring more advanced semiconductor manufacturing and R&D capabilities to US.

Fifth: South Korea will be forced to choose side. This time South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol said he can only talk to Pelosi on the phone for 40 minutes because he is busy on his summer vacation in a city called "Seoul". There is no time for the in person meeting!

Obviously he was yielding to PRC's pressure. This is a humiliation that US government and Congress
won't easily forget and an insult to Korean as an independent country.
 
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China is undergoing a demographic timebomb right now (this decade) - a rapidly aging population, and like Russia, that generally leads to less stability.
Do you think the aging elderly or the disillusioned youth is a bigger problem? This article showed up in my newsfeed a few days ago & I thought it was interesting (unfortunately behind a paywall now)

 
Do you think the aging elderly or the disillusioned youth is a bigger problem? This article showed up in my newsfeed a few days ago & I thought it was interesting (unfortunately behind a paywall now)


Although CCP always think they can control young Chinese minds and souls, the danger is that the youth's anti-US, anti-Taiwan, anti-Japan, anti-Korea, anti-Vietnam, and anti whatever countries movement can easily turn to anti government and anti CCP movement.

When the big chunk of youth can't find a job, they will become fearless because they have nothing and have no hope. Then they become dangerous.
 
FWIW, I'm not really a fan of Pelosi, but I thought it was brave of her to go.

Pelosi is doing this for her own domestic political agenda,as Kevin Rudd point it out.

As the Democratic party facing troubles domestically,one way to prevent the support rate from further falling,is to divert the domestic struggle to outside. A common practise used by ruling powers all over the global,nothing new really.

 
UMC release statement :"UMC has nothing to do with Robert Tsao,UMC cutoff Tsao long ago"

China is a big market for UMC so this is business as usual. I can assure you that 99.99% of UMC employees support Robert Tsao.

And speaking of UMC:

Q2 GM climbs to 46.5% as 1H 2022 operating income reaches NT$50.5bn
S
econd Quarter 2022 Overview1:
  • Revenue: NT$72.06 billion (US$2.43 billion)
  • Gross margin: 46.5%; Operating margin: 39.1%
  • Revenue from 22/28nm: 22%
  • Capacity utilization rate: 100%+
  • Net income attributable to shareholders of the parent: NT$21.33 billion (US$718 million)
  • Earnings per share: NT$1.74; earnings per ADS: US$0.293
Second quarter consolidated revenue was NT$72.06 billion, increasing 13.6% QoQ from NT$63.42 billion in 1Q22. Compared to a year ago, 2Q22 revenue grew 41.5% YoY from NT$50.91 billion in 2Q21. Consolidated gross margin for 2Q22 reached 46.5%. Net income attributable to the shareholders of the parent was NT$21.33 billion, with earnings per ordinary share of NT$1.74.

Winning!
 
China is undergoing a demographic timebomb right now (this decade) - a rapidly aging population, and like Russia, that generally leads to less stability.

I wonder how the likes of Taiwan and Korea cope with this issue?Since they have even worse demographic problems,and they don't accept large scale miagrates unlike Western societies.

An aging society is actually more stable than young society,since older folks make less trouble than younger. Japan is a good example
 
China is a big market for UMC so this is business as usual. I can assure you that 99.99% of UMC employees support Robert Tsao.

Good for UMC.

Robert Tsao is not even ROC citizen anymore,he transfered his wealth and citizenship to safe haven Singapore already, which make his will to defend the island at all cost in doubt. Maybe he has no plan to stand with TW to the last minutes as he proclaimed ?
 
Respectfully, I think the cause for maintaining freedom for the Taiwanese people is an even better cause than making chips for supporting them.

The best way to support TW is to enhance TW's position in semiconductor industry,rather than relocate TW semiconductor industry to the US,which would only do more harm than good to TW.
 
UMC release statement :"UMC has nothing to do with Robert Tsao,UMC cutoff Tsao long ago"



@tonyget

The translation you posted is not what UMC has said.

Here is my translation and hope it can be more close to the original UMC statement:

"We (UMC) has received various inquiries about Mr. Robert Tsao's relationship with UMC. Mr. Tsao retired from UMC more than ten years ago and has no association with UMC. Hence we have no way to comment it further about his relationship with UMC.


回覆各界詢問有關曹興誠先生與聯電的關係:曹興誠先生十數年前已從聯電退休,與聯電無關,本公司無從評論。
 
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I wonder how the likes of Taiwan and Korea cope with this issue?Since they have even worse demographic problems,and they don't accept large scale miagrates unlike Western societies.

An aging society is actually more stable than young society,since older folks make less trouble than younger. Japan is a good example
True, Japan is a great example of aging stability. However they industrialized long ago where for China it's a relatively recent event (from farmers to city dwellers). The problem China will face is taking care of the aging population (food, medical, housing maintenance, etc) while also leaving enough of an economy to keep the youth happy.
 
Do you think the aging elderly or the disillusioned youth is a bigger problem? This article showed up in my newsfeed a few days ago & I thought it was interesting (unfortunately behind a paywall now)

Good question. They probably complement each other. The smart youth may leave accelerating the brain drain while the rest (from a CCP view) sap the economy in various ways. That makes the cost of caring for the elderly even higher.
 
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