Author: Yang Shengyun ( Director and researcher of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Center of Ward Research Institute, and special commentator of China National Radio)
Zhang Zhongmou The so-called "theory of restraining the military" is a discourse trap. It warns us: When formulating a plan to acquire Taiwan, in addition to paying attention to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwanese civilians and foreigners on Taiwan, it is necessary to include the protection of important infrastructure and important assets on the island in strategic considerations. External forces and "Taiwan independence" forces should not be allowed to collude with internal and external forces to seize or even sabotage. The military and civilians of Taiwan who support unification should also organize themselves to protect the assets belonging to the Chinese nation and the economic lifeline on the island.
American CBS ace program "60 Minutes" aired on October 9 with TSMC founder Zhang Zhongmou, former "Chief of Staff" Li Ximing and others. Zhang Zhongmou claimed in the show that if a war broke out, TSMC would be destroyed and put forward the so-called "restrained military theory."
"Sixty Minutes" claimed that although most international communities believe that war in the Taiwan Strait may be imminent, polls on the island show that most Taiwanese people think it is unlikely to happen in the short term. One of the reasons for this thinking is: Taiwan's dominant position in the semiconductor field - Taiwan is the only source of the world's most precise chips, and is almost managed by TSMC.
When the host of this show, Reisley Starr asked 91-year-old Zhang Zhongmou why Taiwanese people think that chip industries such as TSMC can be used as so-called "silicon shields" to "protect Taiwan from attacks?" Zhang Zhongmou replied, "This means that perhaps TSMC provides chips in many countries around the world. If someone's primary goal is for economic well-being, they may restrain themselves from using force."
Reisley Starr asked again, "Will the mainland nationalize TSMC under the one-China principle?" Zhang Zhongmou said, "If there is a war, I mean, it (TSMC) will be destroyed. Everything will be destroyed."
It should be said that Reisley Starr's question is full of discourse traps, because she presets the so-called "invasion" framework of the so-called mainland "invasion". Although Zhang Zhongmou's answer is clever, he fell into this trap intentionally or unintentionally.
Zhang Zhongmou did not say who would be "destroyed" during the war, and expressed the meaning of opposing war and hoping for peace. However, his theory of "restraining and not using force" was obviously logically confusing and biased, because the so-called economic well-being is not the main factor that determines "use force but not using force". The collusion and provocation between the United States and Taiwan is the main reason for the tension in the Taiwan Strait and possible military conflicts.
The reality is that mainland China has repeatedly emphasized that it is also doing its best to strive for peaceful reunification, but the DPP authorities refuse to accept the reality of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the prospect of peaceful reunification, and even colluded with the United States to encircle and block the future of peaceful reunification.
in particular should be pointed out that the so-called "restraining and not using force" is a discourse trap. It should be noted that the mainland does not promise to give up the use of force and retain the option to take all necessary measures, targeting external interference and a very small number of "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities. The non-peaceful method is also the last choice made under the circumstances. If the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces or external interference forces provoke and force, or even break through the red line, should we talk about "restraining and not using force"? The US intervention and "Taiwan independence" separatism have damaged the overall interests and overall rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Isn't this welfare great enough?
What's more, it is the US military and strategic people who plan to destroy island infrastructure such as TSMC during wartime. The reason they give is to "avoid valuable assets falling into China's hands." Taiwan is China's Taiwan, what qualifications do the United States have to blow it up at any time? It is pointed out that in order to avoid being passive in public opinion, the United States is even planning to adopt "mistake bombing" or blame the problem. This fully exposes the cold-blooded and ruthlessness of external forces and the evil intentions of "using Taiwan to control China" to do everything possible.
Sadly, the DPP authorities and some pro-US forces on the island are cooperating with the United States.In recent years, US military aircraft have landed on Taiwan many times, and US-Taiwan intelligence cooperation has become closer. Small US military forces have even been entrenched in Taiwan for a long time in joint training with Taiwan. These have provided space for US military to interfere in the Taiwan issue and engage in sabotage in wartime. Although Tsai Ing-wen's conversation on October 10 mentioned that " semiconductor manufacturing is concentrated in Taiwan, it will not be a risk", and chip industries such as TSMC are "protecting the Taiwan Strait", the United States is inducing TSMC's technology, talents and assets to flow to the United States. As early as when Trump was in power, the United States strongly threatened TSMC to set up factories in Arizona, the United States. Even though Zhang Zhongmou and others repeatedly stated that it was difficult to make a profit in setting up factories in the United States, TSMC still went there obediently. After Biden comes to power, the US Department of Commerce further requires Taiwan chip manufacturers such as TSMC to submit confidential data, and all parties in Taiwan have to do so.
Now the 5-nanometer factory built by TSMC in the United States is about to be put into production. Three of its ten directors are Americans, and most of its top ten shareholders are also American investment institutions. For example, the largest shareholder "Citi Trusteeship" holds more than 20% of the shares. In the future, Taiwan's chip industry will be further controlled and hollowed out by the United States. Bloomberg, the United States recently said that sources revealed that before the mainland took force against Taiwan, one of the potential choices in Washington was to try to attract TSMC employees and take the last batch of flights to the United States; if Beijing "attacks Taiwan in full swing", then "the United States will consider evacuating Taiwan's chip engineers."
In this regard, former DPP "legislator" Guo Zhengliang believes that TSMC's real assets are talents. The United States intends to use aircraft to pick up TSMC's talents, which means that "it may gradually turn TSMC into an American company." Now TSMC accounts for 71% of foreign capital, and it is becoming more and more "natural" for the United States to take over TSMC. At that time, the United States will make excuses to "rescue the talent assets of American companies." Taiwanese analyst Lu Xingzhi also believes that the US "inducing TSMC employees" to transport a group of European scientists to the United States during the Second World War "has similar awesome." After being hollowed out, the United States will certainly no longer "pleasant" and will destroy important infrastructure, including TSMC's factory buildings, without any "psychological concerns".
In view of this, when formulating a plan to acquire Taiwan, the mainland, in addition to paying attention to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwanese civilians and foreigners on Taiwan, must include the protection of important infrastructure and important assets on the island in strategic considerations, and cannot allow external forces and "Taiwan independence" forces to collude and even rob or destroy them. The military and civilians of Taiwan who support unification should also organize themselves to protect the assets belonging to the Chinese nation and the economic lifeline on the island.
