The rumor that the U.S. government is allegedly pushing a joint venture between Intel and TSMC has sparked an outcry in Taiwan about the chance of the country losing its 'Silicon Shield,' a theory that TSMC's crucial role in global chip manufacturing would prevent China from invading, or spur other countries to rush to its aid in the event of war. Naturally, the rumored partnership would impact TSMC’s strategy and Taiwan's politics. With such a JV, Taiwan would no longer be the world’s key supplier of advanced processors.
"'Media reports' gone wild," wrote Dan Nystedt, vice president at TriOrient, an Asia-based private investment company, in an X post. "Headlines from Taiwan [are] from pro-Chinese Communist Party/anti-America media."
