Aro Imamura News Today

Chinas increasing assertiveness towards Taiwan -- which it claims as its own territory and has not ruled out taking by force -- has sparked worries about the worlds dependence on the island for chip production and pushed TSMC to diversify where it makes them.

Surrounded by fields of carrots and cabbages, workers are putting the finishing touches to a factory opening on Saturday that is a milestone for both US ally Japan and Taiwanese chip giant TSMC. The $8.6-billion facility in the southern Kumamoto region showcases TSMC's efforts to make some of its strategically crucial chips elsewhere than hotspot Taiwan, as well as Japan's push to revive its once-dominant semiconductor sector.But as with other sectors in ageing Japan, there are worries...