Former White House National Security Advisor: "If China Invades Taiwan, the US May Destroy TSMC Factories"

"Concerns Over Potential Use of Factories if China Takes Control of Taiwan"
Taiwan Government Dismisses as "Unrealistic"

Robert O'Brien, who served as National Security Council (NSC) advisor during the Trump administration from 2019 to 2021, said that the United States might directly destroy TSMC factories if China invades Taiwan.

O'Brien made these remarks on the 13th (local time) while attending the Global Security Forum held in Qatar via video conference. He explained that if China successfully infiltrates and takes control of Taiwan, it could utilize these factories, which is why the U.S. might directly destroy them.

Former U.S. National Security Council (NSC) Advisor Robert O'Brien (Photo by Global Security Forum Twitter)

O'Brien said, "The United States and its allies will never allow TSMC's factories to fall into Chinese hands." He pointed out, "(Securing the factories) would be like China becoming a new Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for silicon semiconductors, enabling them to control the global economy."

O'Brien compared this to the 1940 British naval attack on French naval vessels known as "Operation Catapult." At that time, Britain attacked the French fleet out of concern that after France surrendered to Nazi Germany, Germany would seize the French fleet and use it to invade Britain. The fleet had about 1,300 French soldiers aboard. Winston Churchill, then British Prime Minister, described it as "the most cruel and painful decision."

As concerns about a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan continue to rise, worries about the TSMC factories, which are central to the global semiconductor supply chain, have not ceased.

However, despite these claims, the Taiwanese government has responded that controlling only the TSMC factories does not mean securing the entire semiconductor supply chain, so there is no need for China to destroy the TSMC factories even if it invades Taiwan. According to Bloomberg and other sources, Chen Ming-tong, head of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, testified before the legislature last October, saying, "Even if China holds the golden hen, it cannot lay golden eggs," and added, "If you understand TSMC's ecosystem, such statements are unrealistic."

TSMC founder and former chairman Morris Chang believes that if war breaks out, TSMC will be completely destroyed. In an interview with foreign media last year, he said, "If a war (between China and Taiwan) occurs, TSMC will inevitably face a fate of 'annihilation' where everything is destroyed," but he also predicted that if Chinese President Xi Jinping prioritizes the economy, he would refrain from using military force against Taiwan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.