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Taiwan's President Calls for Focused Investment Strategy, Highlights National Competitiveness

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

President Chen Shui-bian called on Taiwanese businesses and investors to focus on increasing investment within Taiwan, rather than seeking to lift restrictions on investing in China. The president emphasized the importance of competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing and highlighted the significance of the newly signed joint venture between Powerchip Semiconductor Corp. (PSC) and Japan's Elpida Memory Inc. in central Taiwan. This major investment project represents the largest in Taiwan's history, with a total planned capacity of 240,000 wafers per month and a price tag of NT$450 billion (US$13.8 billion).

Key Takeaways:

  • President Chen Shui-bian emphasized the need for a focused investment strategy, prioritizing growth and competitiveness within Taiwan rather than blindly challenging government restrictions on investment in China.
  • The newly signed joint venture between PSC and Elpida represents a major investment project in Taiwan's history, with a total planned capacity of 240,000 wafers per month and a price tag of NT$450 billion (US$13.8 billion).
  • This joint venture highlights Taiwan's and PSC's competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing, despite efforts by Singapore and China to attract such a large-scale project.
  • Relevant government agencies have completed all paperwork required for the joint venture, including land requisition and environmental impact assessments, in just nine months - a record in Taiwan's science-based industrial parks' history.
  • Taiwan's domestic economy has regained momentum, with a growth rate of 5.02% posted in the third quarter and a forecasted annual growth rate of 4.3-4.6%.
  • Unemployment is expected to remain under 4% for the year, reflecting a strong and stable economy.

Statistics:

  • Growth rate in the third quarter: 5.02%
  • Forecasted annual growth rate: 4.3-4.6%
  • Unemployment rate forecast: under 4%
  • Planned capacity of new joint venture: 240,000 wafers per month
  • Total planned investment: NT$450 billion (US$13.8 billion)
  • Timeframe for new joint venture's commercial operations: four to five years

Sources:

  • Chen Shui-bian, President of Taiwan (Exact quote from the original text)
  • Powerchip Semiconductor Corp. (PSC) and Japan's Elpida Memory Inc. (Joint venture signing article, no date mentioned)
  • Asia Pulse, Dec 15, 2023 (Newspaper article, no external link)

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