Trump urges Taiwan chip manufacturers to move to US amid tensions with China

WASHINGTON, DC: Fresh off his headline-grabbing visit to China, Donald Trump is now making a case to charge the US chip industry and bring more manufacturing power back to the US.

On Friday, May 15, the president urged Taiwanese chip manufacturers to move their operations to the United States, signaling a firm stance as tensions between Taiwan and China continue to rise.

However, this came on the heels of Chinese President Xi's warning that any mishandling of Taiwan-related issues could trigger a geopolitical confrontation able to shake the global supply chain.

Trump says moving to US is 'greatest thing' for Taiwan chipmakers

Trump sat down for a wide-ranging interview on his trip to China with Fox News' Bret Baier, where he insisted that China might attack Taiwan if he pulls his support back.

“Now, with me, I don't think they'll do anything when I'm here. When I'm not here, I think they might, to be honest with you. I'm not sure that they do anything if it remains as is.”

“But they have somebody there now who wants to go independent. Well, it's a risky thing when you go independent, you know, they're going independent because they want to get into a war, and they want to figure they have the United States behind them. I'd like to see it stay the way it is,” he claimed.

The President then urged Taiwan chip manufacturers to shift their facilities to the US, insisting, “it's the greatest thing you can do. It's a heated situation.”

“As you know, we have massive amounts of chip companies now from Taiwan already coming in. We expect to have 40 to 50 percent of the world's chip business by the end of my term,” Trump stated.

“I think all of those chip companies, if they're smart, they're going to start heading to Arizona and the places where they're building.”

Taiwan’s advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities have made it a critical partner for the United States in the AI supply chain.

Xi Jinping’s stark warning over ‘mishandling’ of Taiwan conflict

US support for Taiwan continues to strain relations with China, which considers the self-ruled island a core part of its territory and strongly opposes any foreign involvement.

Washington’s growing backing of Taipei has fueled diplomatic tensions, military posturing, and fears of a larger geopolitical confrontation between the two global powers.

While Trump’s high-profile China visit ended with Xi Jinping agreeing to assist in Iran negotiations and avoid supplying military equipment to Tehran, the Chinese leader appeared to have demands of his own.

Earlier this week, Xi issued a stark warning to the US leaders, stating that mishandling the Taiwan issue could plunge Washington and Beijing into 'clashes and even conflicts.'

Xi's doubts stem from the US plans to sell arms to Taiwan. The Trump administration approved about $11 billion for the weapons deal, pending delivery of the hardware.

However, Trump’s tone shifted following the high-profile summit. The president recently said that he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Xi.

“I’ll be making decisions,” Trump said. “But, you know, I think the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away.”