Taiwan's President Gifts Trump the Story Behind the World's Most Powerful Chip Company

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A Book as a Message

Sometimes a gift speaks louder than a formal statement. On Wednesday, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te used a U.S. Independence Day reception in Taipei to send President Donald Trump something unexpected: a two-volume autobiography of Morris Chang, the 94-year-old founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company — better known as TSMC.

Lai handed the books to Raymond Greene, the top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan, and asked him to deliver them personally to Trump. Chang himself was present at the reception — seated in a wheelchair in the audience — as the exchange took place. Both Lai and Greene were reportedly smiling as the books changed hands.

Why the Gift Matters

The gesture was not merely symbolic. Trump has repeatedly accused Taiwan of having "stolen" the American chip industry — a claim he reiterated in a Fox News interview earlier this month. Lai did not address that accusation directly, but the message embedded in his gift was clear.

"These two volumes fully document how Taiwan's semiconductor industry developed," Lai said at the event. He expressed hope that the books would help Trump gain a deeper understanding of the industry — and that this understanding would strengthen future cooperation between Taiwan and the United States in semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

The history of TSMC is, in many ways, deeply American. Morris Chang was born in China but became a U.S. citizen and spent 25 years working at Texas Instruments — one of the pioneering U.S. semiconductor companies — before founding TSMC. He was educated at Harvard and MIT. Trump's framing of Taiwan as a thief of American technology sits awkwardly with those facts.

TSMC: The Backbone of Global Tech

To understand why this diplomatic exchange matters, it helps to know what TSMC actually does. The company is the world's largest contract chipmaker — meaning it manufactures chips designed by other companies. Its clients include Nvidia, Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm. Without TSMC's factories, a significant portion of the world's smartphones, AI processors, and consumer electronics simply would not exist.

TSMC's first fabrication plant in Arizona began production in 2025. In March 2025, TSMC announced its intention to expand its total U.S. investment to $165 billion — encompassing three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a major research and development center in Phoenix, Arizona. The company described it as the largest single foreign direct investment in U.S. history.

Plans in Arizona include six semiconductor wafer fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and an R&D team center — an investment that is expected to strengthen America's leadership in critical technologies like AI, high-performance computing, and advanced mobile applications.

Tensions Beneath the Surface

Despite TSMC's massive commitment to U.S. soil, Taiwan's relationship with the Trump administration has entered an uncertain phase. After Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this month, several of his public comments rattled Taipei.

Trump described arms sales to Taiwan as a "very good negotiating chip" in U.S. dealings with China, and said he is still considering whether to approve a new arms sales package for Taiwan. He also indicated he would speak with Lai — a call that has not yet taken place.

Trump also reiterated older accusations that Taiwan "stole" its chipmaking sector from the U.S. decades ago. While Trump during his summit with Xi did not alter U.S. policy wording on Taiwan — which many observers had feared he would — he did seem to adopt some of the Chinese president's narrative about the island's government. Beijing has long labeled Lai a "Taiwan independence diehard."

Lai's Message to Washington

In his remarks at the reception, Lai struck a tone that was warm toward the United States while subtly pushing back against any suggestion that the Taiwan-U.S. relationship is under strain.

"I have always believed that freedom brings our distance closer, and democracy makes our friendship even tighter," he said.

He expressed confidence that the solid foundation built between Taiwan and the United States would continue to deepen — and framed TSMC's investment in Arizona not as a concession, but as a shared project benefiting both countries.

In Taiwan, TSMC is often affectionately referred to as the "sacred mountain that protects the country" — and sometimes as a company with "American DNA." Its main clients — Apple, Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm — are American, and its leaders come from top U.S. universities.

What Comes Next

Whether Trump reads the autobiography or not, Lai's move was a reminder that Taiwan still has cards to play — and that it intends to play them through persuasion and economic partnership rather than confrontation.

The question hanging over Taipei is whether Washington's posture under Trump is a negotiating tactic or something more structural. As long as that question remains unanswered, expect Taiwan to keep sending carefully worded messages — some of them, apparently, in hardcover.

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Sources:

1. Reuters – Taiwan president gifts Trump autobiography of TSMC founder: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/taiwan-president-urges-stronger-us-ties-amid-unease-over-trump-remarks-2026-05-27/
2. Fortune – Trump thinks Taiwan is a "very good negotiating chip" with China: https://fortune.com/2026/05/16/trump-thinks-taiwan-is-a-very-good-negotiating-chip-with-china/
3. PBS NewsHour – Trump's comment about negotiations on Taiwan heightens concerns: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-comment-about-negotiations-on-taiwan-heightens-concerns-over-china
4. TSMC Official Press Release – TSMC Intends to Expand Investment to $165 Billion: https://pr.tsmc.com/english/news/3210
5. Moneywise – Trump says Taiwan "stole" chip industry, but TSMC has American roots: https://moneywise.com/news/top-stories/trump-taiwan-tsmc-chip-industry-american-roots
6. Institut Montaigne – TSMC, Taiwan and the Trump Administration: https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/tsmc-taiwan-and-trump-administration-whos-holding-cards

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