I feel like it's talked about all the time which is the opposite of ignoring it.
It would mean war with the west, not just the USA. I don't think China wants to squeeze that toothpaste out of the tube. If anyone thinks the west is going to let China "take" TSMC and disrupt the flow of chips they are out of their goddamn minds.
Could Intel’s 18A process technology be a semi viable alternative?
It's a matter of volume at this point. Yes, TSMC's leading edge is very important and valuable but companies can't even get enough N5 and N3 wafers.
Intel made about 1.2 - 2 million wafers in 2024. TSMC made 13 million in 2024.[0]
If US loses TSMC access today, Intel would have to build 10 fabs to replace the volume. Each fab costs about $20-30 billion and takes 3-4 years to start making wafers.
[0]https://semiwiki.com/forum/threads/how-many-wafers-did-intel...
Gift article link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/technology/taiwan-china-c...
Silicon Valley morons. Send NVIDIA to 0
"Mr. Trump told Mr. Huang that when he spoke with Mr. Xi about the island, China’s leader would breathe heavily, said one of these people who was briefed on the conversation. The president didn’t like it. He urged Mr. Huang to make chips in America."