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Saturday, August 12, 2023

US' ban on high-tech investment cannot stifle China's high-tech development

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Backfiring moves.Illustration:Liu Rui/GT

US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday restricting investments in China, intended to further stymie China's advances in three cutting-edge technology areas: semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies and certain artificial intelligence systems. The "decoupling" of high tech from China began under Donald Trump, and the Biden administration has continued that ambition. However, the new order doesn't target US investments already invested in China, but the new ones.

The Biden administration has repeatedly claimed that the US restrictions will be narrowly targeted and will not "have a fundamental impact on affecting the investment climate for China." Biden's new executive order is still subject to consultation with the US business community and the public and is not expected to take effect until next year.

The order has been brewed for a long time and has generated a lot of publicity. But almost no one believes that this executive order will deal a new practical blow to Chinese high technology, because almost everyone knows that China needs American technology more than American money. The order has gained much attention because it is seen as part of a broader trend of the US drifting away from China.

The promulgation and brewing process of the executive order reflects the strong desire of American political elites to suppress China's high-tech development, as well as a fierce game between those supporting the executive order and the concerns of the technology and economic sectors about a potential backfire on the US. It is a kind of compromise. Washington obviously hopes that major allies will follow Biden's executive order. The UK's Sunak government has made cautious statements, stating that it is consulting business and the financial sector before deciding whether to follow suit.

In fact, China also has the ability to influence the extent to which Biden's executive order is implemented, as well as the extent to which the US will go in terms of "decoupling" from China. We are definitely not just passive recipients of US policies. American political elites are eager to "decouple" from China as quickly and deeply as possible, but they fear two things:

First, this will immediately damage the performance of relevant high-tech companies in the US, undermine their influence and further innovation. The current Biden administration, in particular, does not want to incur strong resentment from Silicon Valley and Wall Street toward the escalating "decoupling," which will ultimately lead to the loss of support for the Democratic Party.

Second, they are afraid of pushing China toward more resolute independent innovation to achieve breakthroughs in key technologies such as chips. If the US "decoupling" policy gives birth to major technological achievements in China, it means that Washington will completely lose the gamble: They originally wants to stifle China's high-tech development, but ends up strangling their own companies.

What China needs to do next is to fully unleash our innovation vitality, continuously reduce our dependence on high-tech products from the US, and prove that as long as we are determined to achieve independent innovation, we have the ability to accomplish things. We need to prove that being pressured by the US will only make us stronger. As long as there are several solid proofs of this trend, the US policy community will fall into unprecedented chaos, and their panic will be much more severe than when they saw the rapid expansion of the Chinese economy before Trump started the trade war.

Regardless of the future of China-US relations, the current battle will be the key battle that determines the future competition between China and the US. China can only win and cannot afford to lose. High-tech products such as chips are not isolated. The innovation power of China's entire manufacturing industry and the creative vitality of the whole society are the foundation for shaping these key achievements. When pressured by the US, our society needs to generate confidence and resilience from all directions, and we need to accelerate and seize every opportunity, rather than shrink and simply defend. Otherwise, the US will gain the upper hand in momentum, and we will truly be in a passive and defensive position.

We must see that the US is on the offensive, but its offensive is becoming weaker and weaker, and it is always hesitant with each step. What is presented to China are difficulties and risks, but also the dawn of victory. 

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The author is a Chinese media professional. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn 

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Thursday, August 10, 2023

TSMC: The global giant it didn’t aspire to be; US hijacks Taiwan's high-tech industries, squeezes island's economic future

 

FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with a displayed TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

 

Coupled with current plans, TSMC will have factories in five countries spread over three continents, rivalling the sprawl of rivals Intel Corp and Samsung Electronics Co. 

 

A LITTLE over three years ago, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) was among the world’s most geographically concentrated technology giants with almost the entirety of its capacity within a 300-mile radius.

Now, it is on the verge of becoming one of the most globally diversified chipmakers. This wasn’t the plan.

A new facility near Dresden, Germany, is set to begin operations in 2027, the Hsinchu-based company said yesterday.

Coupled with current plans, TSMC will have factories in five countries spread over three continents, rivalling the sprawl of rivals Intel Corp and Samsung Electronics Co.

These overseas plants add to the significant operations it has in Taiwan and the two existing sites in China. (For more than 25 years it has also owned a fab near Portland, which though profitable is small and not seen as a company success story.)

Having all its manufacturing close to home has always been an advantage for the made-to-order chip foundry.

The tight relationship between research and development, and factory operations, where engineers can easily shuffle between production lines, helped TSMC become a fast-moving supplier in a high-stakes industry. Dotting the world with fabs risked diluting this advantage.

But then TSMC’s true global expansion kicked off in May 2020 with the announcement of a new facility in Arizona, a project which was enhanced two years later to include a second plant at the site, taking total investment in the Southwestern state to US$40bil.

A venture with Japan’s Sony Group Corp, unveiled in 2021, took TSMC in a new direction. Instead of owning a factory outright, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp will take a 20% stake in a factory being built in Kumamoto.

Automotive components supplier Denso Corp later signed on to take a stake of over 10%. That plant is closer to Shanghai than Tokyo.

Dresden is a continuation down that path of working with clients to jointly own facilities, largely to supply the growing demand for components used in automobiles.

TSMC will invest up to €3.5bil for a 70% share of newly formed European Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG and NXP Semiconductors NV each take 10%, and total capital expenditure is expected to be around US$11bil, with the money coming from equity, debt and German and European Union funding.

Since its founding by Morris Chang more than three decades ago, TSMC eschewed equity partnerships in favour of maintaining full control over its operations, and thus its destiny.

But the global winds have changed, and its new leaders, chairman Mark Liu and chief executive officer CC Wei, have had little choice but to adapt.

TSMC’s balance sheet is solid, its cash flow is stable, and its credit rating is high. It doesn’t need clients nor governments to hand it money in order to pay for these new facilities.

What it does need, though, is buy-in. These remote factories at locations many time zones from home require firm orders as well as a solid commitment from third parties motivated to ensure the company’s success.

Having the likes of Sony, Infineon and NXP on the ownership list ensures they have skin in the game, while government involvement should help secure political and economic support.

Suddenly, TSMC goes from being an under-the-radar Taiwanese supplier solely focused on a coterie of semiconductor clients, to a global entity with multiple stakeholders across numerous national and local jurisdictions. It’s already proving to be a difficult adjustment.

Liu last month announced the delay of its Arizona opening by about a year. Time spent navigating local regulations and a struggle for talent, including among vendors, means TSMC won’t kick off operations there until 2025.

Last week, the company signed an agreement with Arizona governor Katie Hobbs to follow a worker safety programme that’s stricter than federal rules, a sign that TSMC needs to keep adjusting to a changing regulatory landscape.

Continued concerns about pay and conditions among local workers means a labour dispute could flare up at anytime, a situation uncommon at home in Taiwan.

Also of surprise is the escalating scale of divergence between costs in the United States and Taiwan, which will likely force the chipmaker to charge clients like Apple Inc and Nvidia Corp significantly more for products made in Arizona.

The Japan plan appears to remain on track for production late next year, with a high chance a second fab will be added to the project. Yet despite the US$60bil to be spent in total by all parties, the new facilities will account for no more than 10% of global capacity.

And not all fabs are created equal; the best stuff will remain in Taiwan for the foreseeable future, with Dresden and Kumamoto both deploying much older production technology – which is fine because automotive chips don’t need anything more modern.

Still, these foreign partners have no reason to complain. Clients are getting a stake in, and access to, precisely the factories and know-how they need.

Governments, meanwhile, can tell their constituents that they’ve been successful in luring the world’s most important technology company to their shores.

TSMC is also a winner. Just five years ago, the company warned investors that the European Commission was looking into concerns about “alleged anti-competitive practices” in relation to semiconductor sales.

The US Fair Trade Commission was also showing interest, it was reported at the time. Nothing came of these probes, but it would be particularly awkward for regulators in either jurisdiction to now accuse TSMC of being a predatory tech giant when its management has bent over backwards (and spent billions of dollars) to set up shop on their turf.

These overseas plants also dampen the constant drumbeat among rivals that TSMC is overly concentrated in one place, and that governments and chip customers need to look elsewhere.

Now, the company is giving them that “elsewhere.” Half the world gets a piece of TSMC, and in return all the chipmaker had to do was lean into globalisation. — Bloomberg

Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology in Asia. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. 

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US hijacks Taiwan's high-tech industries, squeezes island's economic future

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Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Come back and vote, urge Penang state election candidates to vote on Aug 12.2023

 

DAP revealed its 19 candidates for the Penang state election yesterday. Ten out of the 19 are incumbents – including party chairperson Lim Guan Eng and caretaker Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow – while seven are fresh faces. The party has dropped caretaker deputy chief minister II and incumbent Perai assemblyperson P Ramasamy, 74, as well as women’s wing chief and Padang Lalang incumbent Chong Eng, 66.

Attendees greeting Kit Siang (centre) and other DAP leaders and candidates at the start of the ceramah at the Chinese Town Hall in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Penang. — Photos: LIM BENG TATT/The Star



PAKATAN Harapan’s unity candidates are hoping for a higher voter turnout for the state election and are urging Penangites to return to vote on Aug 12.

Penang Pakatan chairman Chow Kon Yeow said local voters working in other states or even overseas should come back, and give the caretaker unity government an overwhelming mandate.

“We are a state government with a proven track record since 2008. We managed to fulfil 93% of our 2018 manifesto promises, and we are also on track to becoming a family-centric and green state by 2030,” he said.

He was speaking to more than 500 supporters at the Chinese Town Hall in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling during the inaugural ceramah for the state election.

Also present was DAP’s Air Itam candidate Joseph Ng Soon Siang who urged Penangites not to gamble with their future by not coming back to vote, as “there is no sure thing” in this state election.

“It is not good to assume that Pakatan candidates are a ‘shoo-in’, as anything can happen. So, Penangites must tell their friends, relatives and colleagues to come back and come out to vote,” said Ng.


Chow: We managed to fulfil 93% of our 2018 manifesto promises.

Datok Keramat candidate and incumbent Jagdeep Singh Deo, who was one of the ceramah speakers, said that under the state government’s Green Agenda launched in 2021, Penang aimed to plant 500,000 trees by 2030.

“The good news is that we are already very far ahead of schedule as to date, some 470,000 trees have been planted all over the state.

“Also, since I became the state housing and local government committee chairman, about 76,000 units of affordable housing costing between RM150,000 to RM300,000 have been built statewide,” he said.

First-time Pengkalan Kota candidate Wong Yuee Harng, 35, who was one of the speakers, said if elected, he would do his best to improve the lives of the people as what he had been doing since getting involved in politics 11 years ago.

“I started from the bottom as an assistant to a DAP member of Parliament and also an assemblyman, to later become Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor for the past eight years.



Wong: I may be short like a cili padi but I am very spicy, and I will fight for the rights of my constituents.

“I may be short like a cili padi but I am very spicy, and I will fight for the rights of my constituents while improving their socio-economic status,” he said.

Another first-timer is Seri Delima candidate Connie Tan, 33, who said she joined DAP in 2012 upon returning to Penang from the United Kingdom after she graduated with a law degree.

“I joined the party with the intention of making my voice heard, as I just wanted to help Penang prosper. I had no lofty ambition whatsoever then and never thought that I would ever be selected to be a state election candidate,” said Tan.

For Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo, 61, being the oldest candidate with no political experience is not a deterrent as he feels his experience as a developer will help to solve the housing woes in the Perai constituency.

“I can also help to solve the squatter and flood problems in Perai. My life in the corporate world has been good, and now is the time for me to give back to society.


Sundarajoo says his experience as a developer comes in handy in solving housing woes in Perai.

“I consider my candidacy to be a form of ‘national service’ for Penang over the next five years,” said the former chief operations officer of developer Ecoworld Development Group Bhd.

Other candidates who spoke at the event were Lim Guan Eng (Air Putih), Ong Ah Teong (Batu Lancang), Kumaran Krishnan (Bagan Dalam), H’ng Mooi Lye (Jawi), Daniel Gooi (Padang Lalang), Phee Syn Tze (Sungai Puyu), Chee Yeeh Keen (Bagan Jermal) and Joshua Woo Sze Zeng (Pulau Tikus).

Veteran DAP politician Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang and Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid also spoke at the three-hour ceramah which started at about 8pm.

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Monday, August 7, 2023

It’s almost always flu season

Fighting off infection: Patients waiting to see a doctor amid the rise in influenza cases at a clinic in Wangsa Maju. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Although there is a sharp drop in reported influenza cases this year, the highly contagious respiratory illness occurs all year round, says the Health Ministry, while reminding the public to take safety measures against it.

From January to July this year, the ministry logged 158 influenza clusters – compared with 255 clusters during the same period last year.

Of the 158 clusters reported this year, 54% were in schools, followed by kindergartens at 20%.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the total number of cases reported from the 158 clusters was 4,606, whereas in 2022 the cases were three times higher or 12,876 cases from 255 clusters.

“The ministry still monitors influenza outbreaks and clusters that occur, although individual cases are not required to be notified by clinics and hospitals,” she said in an interview.

This is because influenza, or the flu, is not subject to mandatory notifications under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

Dr Zaliha said influenza tends to occur all year round and has the potential to attack all ages.

While most people recover within a week without requiring medical attention, some may require admission for close monitoring, she said.

Influenza and the common cold are both contagious respiratory illnesses but caused by different viruses, she added.

“The flu is caused by influenza viruses only whereas the common cold can be caused by a number of different viruses, including rhinoviruses and (human) parainfluenza (viruses),” she said.

Dr Zaliha said the best way to avoid infection is to get the influenza vaccine every year.

She also advised those with symptoms to avoid close contact with others and keep a distance to protect other people from getting sick too.

“Stay home when you are sick. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick,” she said.

Flu viruses, she noted, spread mainly by droplets made when people cough, sneeze or talk.

Dr Zaliha said practising good hand hygiene is also important to curb the spread of the flu.

Germs can also be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth, she said.

Other good health habits – such as cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill – should also be practised, she added.

“Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food. Also seek immediate treatment if symptoms worsen,” she said.

Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia president Dr Shanmuganathan TV Ganeson said the flu season peaks in May to July and November to January.“For the first 24 weeks of 2023 in Malaysia, there was 18.45% positivity for influenza of the specimens sent. The figures for Singapore were quite similar at 20%,” he said.

Dr Shanmuganathan said that as there are pockets of spread, the prevalence would vary from area to area and from time to time.

For example, he said that in May, Klang doctors commented on increased influenza A and B cases, but doctors in Kuala Lumpur did not seem to corroborate that increase.

Symptoms of influenza are fever, flu, cough and chest discomfort, sore throat, lethargy, headache and body aches, respiratory distress, and even vomiting and diarrhoea.

Meanwhile, the symptoms of the common cold are sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, mucus dripping down your throat (post-nasal drip), watery eyes and fever.

“However, most people with colds do not have fever,” said Dr Shanmuganathan.

The at-risk groups include children below five years old, the elderly above 65 years old, those with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease or chronic bronchitis, persons with poor immunity like HIV, cancer and chemotherapy patients, healthcare workers and caregivers, he added.

Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said Covid-19 has taught the world how to curb the spread of upper respiratory infections, and that the same principles could be applied to flu infections.

“The precautions are pretty similar to Covid-19, such as masking up, social distancing and hand washing – as well as isolation for those infected to control the spread,” he said.

Dr Kuljit also said that in July, private hospitals saw a rise in bed occupancy due to many factors, most notably influenza.

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Sunday, August 6, 2023

2023 Malaysian state elections, Saturday, 12 August 2023

Malaysian State Elections 2023


State elections in 2023 will be held in Selangor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah and Penang.

During General Election 15 (GE15) last November, the Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan state governments decided not to dissolve their state government; hence state elections will have to be held now before the state parliament automatically dissolves after the deadline.

All the states have agreed to dissolve their state government around the same time to allow elections to be held simultaneously in these states. The following are important dates of the 2023 State Elections:

Candidate’s nomination – 29 July 2023, Saturday

Early Voting Day – 8 August 2023, Tuesday

Voting Day – 12 August 2023, Saturday

Voters in the states of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu will head to the polls on Aug 12, the Election Commission (EC) announced today.

Nomination will be held on July 29, while early voting will take place on Aug 8. 

EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said a total of 9.7 million individuals are eligible to vote in the state polls.

"The EC has decided that the state elections will be held to fill 36 state legislative assembly seats in Kedah, 45 in Kelantan, 32 in Terengganu, 40 in Penang, 56 in Selangor and 36 in Negeri Sembilan," he said at a press conference after chairing a special meeting on the state polls at Menara SPR today.

Kelantan was the first to dissolve its state assembly on June 22, followed by Selangor on June 23. Penang, Kedah and Terengganu state legislative assemblies were dissolved on June 28, while Negeri Sembilan was the last to dissolve its state assembly on July 1.

A total of 245 state assembly seats will be contested in the six states.

2023 Penang state election


Electoral map of Penang. showing all 40 constituencies
Penang State Legislative Assembly Map, Penang, Malaysia

Breakdown of 2022 Malaysian general election result by state constituency in 2022, where PH in   Red, PN in   Blue-green and BN in   blue  Results of the 2022 Malaysian general election in Penang



MySPR Semak

Semakan Daftar Pemilih

https://mysprsemak.spr.gov.my/semakan/daftarPemilihPapar


A plea to Malaysians to come out and vote on August 12. Please share it with your friends and family.




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