OT-2105
March 25, 2021
Remarks by AIT Director W. Brent Christensen at PSMC’s Tongluo Fab Groundbreaking Ceremony
March 25, 2021
(as prepared for delivery)
President Tsai, Vice Premier Shen, Minister Kung, Minister Wang, Minister Wu, Magistrate Hsu, PSMC Chairman Huang, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, zǎo ān!
I am delighted to be here to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation’s new Tongluo Fabrication Plant.
This is a great opportunity to congratulate PSMC, to highlight the leadership role Taiwan plays in the global semiconductor industry, and to restate the U.S. government’s focus on supply chain security.
Both President Biden and President Tsai have rightly identified the semiconductor industry as a key strategic priority, not only for economic innovation, but also national security.
Last month, as one of his first Executive Orders, President Joe Biden launched a review process to create more resilient and secure supply chains for critical and essential goods. As President Biden said, “building resilience will mean increasing our production of certain types of elements here at home. In others, it’ll mean working more closely with our trusted friends and partners, nations that share our values, so that our supply chains can’t be used against us as leverage.” In addition to the Biden Administration’s focus on securing supply chains, last year marked launch of the U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD). Through this new mechanism, the United States and Taiwan will reinforce existing areas of economic cooperation, forge new economic ties, and build a coalition to counter the PRC’s unfair economic and investment policies. Both the United States and Taiwan will rely on close public-private partnerships and consultation as we increase our cooperation on topics ranging from investment screening to broader scientific and technological cooperation.
I would be remiss if I did not take advantage of being in front of this distinguished crowd of industry executives to encourage all of you here to strengthen our already strong cooperation and invest in the United States. The United States welcomes investment from Taiwan semiconductors companies across the entire value chain – design, foundries, assembly, and all of the suppliers that are not as famous but just as essential.
I would like to welcome all of Taiwan’s semiconductor related companies to join the SelectUSA Investment Summit on June 8-9 which will feature a live event in Taipei. The United States and Taiwan are the globe’s most natural partners in the semiconductor supply chain with an abundance of companies across the value chain, and it will continue to be an AIT priority to support this cooperation.
For decades, Taiwan has been a trusted manufacturer of semiconductors. Industries, governments, and even militaries the world over know Taiwan plays by the rules. And that is why the United States considers Taiwan one of our closest and most indispensable partners, a relationship that I often describe as Real Friends, Real Progress 真朋友,真進展。
Once again, we congratulate PSMC on the groundbreaking of their new fab and we look forward to many more years ahead of U.S.-Taiwan semiconductor industry cooperation.
Thank you.
