Taiwan Quietly Urges US to Calm Rhetoric on China Chip Risk

Taiwanese officials have expressed concerns that the Biden administration is taking the rhetoric too far and have urged them to tone it down.

The US is seeking to reduce its dependence on Taiwan's world-leading microchip industry amid fears of a potential Chinese invasion. However, Taiwanese officials have expressed concerns that the Biden administration is taking the rhetoric too far and have urged them to tone it down. In particular, Taiwanese officials are unhappy with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's recent comments about US dependence on Taiwanese chips being "untenable" and "unsafe," as well as with remarks by a top Republican lawmaker, Michael McCaul, who said Taiwan's semiconductor industry is "very vulnerable to invasion."

Taiwan is home to 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors, which power everything from smartphones to artificial intelligence chatbots. Maintaining this role while trying to attract the military and diplomatic support needed to deter a potential invasion from China poses a conundrum for Taiwanese officials.