The Chinese Government today accused Taiwan authorities of “selling the interests of the island to the United States” in a reaction to the TSMC semiconductor manufacturer’s announcement of an additional investment in factories in the U.S. state of Arizona.
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22/07/2026
by
Lusa
A spokesperson for the Taiwanese Affairs Office of the Council of State, Zhang Han, attributed the deterioration of the Taiwanese economy to the “dependence of the United States to achieve independence”, allegedly promoted by the island authorities, in statements delivered today at a press conference.
Zhang accused the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) of having “emptied the foundations of the economy” by sacrificing the interests of local industry, damaging the industrial future and the livelihoods of the population.
TSMC announced this month an additional investment of 100 billion dollars (87.2 billion euros) to build five microchips factories in Arizona state, increasing to $265 billion (231.2 billion euros) the promised amount of investment in the US state.
Last week, TSMC President and Executive Director Che-Chia Wei stated to investors that the new bet is for the construction of advanced chip factories and state-of-the-art packaging units in the context of the company's expansion in the United States.
“ We believe that this investment will help strengthen the North American semiconductor ecosystem, strengthen the supply chain and sustain an increasing number of high-tech and well-paid jobs,” said the entrepreneur.
The announcement coincided with the disclosure of a 77% jump in the company's net profits in the second quarter, which exceeded USD 22 billion (19.2 billion) between April and June.
The search for memory chips has skyrocketed in recent years, fueled by the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers (AI) and smart devices, with TSMC being a key supplier for groups like Nvidia and Apple.
Thanks to the AI boom, the company also raised the annual revenue growth forecast to more than 40% in 2026, supported by the expansion of factories in the United States, Japan and Taiwan.
Taiwan has been autonomously governed since 1949, has its own armed forces and a distinct political, economic and social system from that of the People's Republic of China and is considered one of the most advanced democracies in Asia.
Beijing, however, considers the island an “inalienable part” of its territory and has intensified in recent years the pressure campaign to carry out the “national reunification”, one of the main long-term objectives of Chinese President Xi Jinping, in the framework of the Chinese nation’s “rejuvenation” project.
This Tuesday, the Taiwanese Attorney’s Office formally accused an old TSMC framework, the world’s largest manufacturer of advanced semiconductors, of trying to convey trade secrets related to “key technologies” for use in China, in the first case of this type registered on the island.