The 'Silicon Shield' was once considered the cornerstone of Taiwan's security, as economic interests outweigh universal values like democracy and freedom. However, with the U.S. aiming to revive 'Made in America,' industries like TSMC are beginning to shift to the U.S., raising concerns about 'TSMC' turning into 'AMERICAN TSMC' and the possible fracture of the 'Silicon Shield.' Nonetheless, Germany's 'Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung' indicates that Huang Renxun, CEO of NVIDIA, still has confidence in Taiwan, showing that NVIDIA may become the new core of Taiwan's 'Silicon Shield.'

Former President Trump has repeatedly expressed his envy towards the flourishing semiconductor industry in Taiwan, claiming that Taiwan has 'stolen' the American chip industry. After TSMC announced a monumental investment worth $165 billion in the U.S., Trump unabashedly stated, 'I used tariffs to successfully force them here,' and even imposed a 32% tariff on what he called the country 'that stole our chip industry' on 'Liberation Day.' The 'Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung' points out that the tug-of-war between the chip industry in the U.S. and Taiwan is crucial for the small island nation, with TSMC symbolizing this dynamic.

The U.S. President aims to bring back the manufacture of high-performance chips essential for artificial intelligence to his country for strategic geopolitical reasons. This is a reasonable arrangement since essential hardware for companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon should not come from a region that is perceived as unstable. However, Taiwan, with a population of 24 million, poses a significant risk to Trump's policies, as Beijing aims to absorb this democratic island, with TSMC being the crucial chip that ensures the U.S. will not turn a blind eye.

Taipei is currently amending the 'Industrial Innovation Act' to prevent TSMC from taking its latest technology to the U.S., but whether this regulation can genuinely work in a critical moment remains to be seen, as the 'Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung' admits, 'it remains to be observed.'