image source,Ethan LIN
TSMC’s factory in Phoenix. In the future, a large number of Taiwanese employees will work here, along with their families.
TSMC, regarded as Taiwan’s “National Protector”, set up a factory in Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, and sent hundreds of high-level engineers to the local area to support it. The contract lasted for three years. Some Taiwanese media described it as “the largest talent migration in Taiwan’s semiconductor history.” Why are these top technological talents in Taiwan willing to relocate their families? Will they return after leaving Taiwan? BBC Chinese interviewed three young engineers to understand their respective plans.
“My goal is very clear. I went to the United States to have a baby.” Mr. Li, a 31-year-old engineer, told BBC Chinese.
He has worked in TSMC for 7 years and has been responsible for the R&D and production of 5nm chips (wafers) at Tainan Factory 18. He will take his new wife on a chartered flight arranged by the company in early January next year and fly directly from Taoyuan International Airport to Phoenix, Arizona, USA city. He said: “At first it was my wife who wanted to go, but I didn’t want to go. I was fine in Taiwan, why did I go to the United States? But I was quickly persuaded by her.”
Taiwan Economic Minister Wang Meihua revealed to the Legislative Yuan that the number of TSMC engineers in the United States is about 500, and the total number of engineers in Taiwan is 50,000. Although the proportion of people going to the United States is not high among TSMC’s total employees, the scenes and details of them leaving Taiwan with their families and taking a chartered flight to the United States have become a hot topic in Taiwanese society since the beginning of November.
Hedging for the next generation
The main reason Mr. Li was persuaded was politics. He and his wife got married in early 2020. Before that, they witnessed the Hong Kong anti-extradition law protests and demonstrations in 2019. His wife, who was a graduate student in Hong Kong, was particularly worried about the situation. I am afraid that “Hong Kong today, Taiwan tomorrow “, Mr. Li agreed to go to the United States at the end of 2020.
image source,Supplied
In Taiwan, Mr. Li often worked overtime until very late, and did not get off work until late at night. The American factory will equip each of them with a car to facilitate commuting.
Mr. Li said: “The CCP can destroy and control you without attacking Hong Kong. They have no concept of the rule of law and human rights. They can do whatever they want. You can see Xi Jinping’s ambition. Our idea is that Taiwan will also be destroyed one day.” The CCP will eat it, whether it is with force or without force, so it must be prepared before this happens.”
TSMC will be dispatched to the U.S. factory for three years, and will not have a green card or citizenship, but U.S. law stipulates that anyone born in the U.S. territory is a U.S. citizen. Mr. Li and his wife plan to give birth during the three-year expatriate period, so that the next generation will have the “insurance” of U.S. citizenship . “The child can choose to receive education in Taiwan or the United States in the future. If the CCP calls, he can also return to the United States, and he will have the right to choose.”
Mr. Li said that his wife, who was originally engaged in planning and marketing, would look for a job in the United States after arriving in the United States. He said that in the past, whether it was Taiwan or mainland China, many people traveled far and wide and took illegal risks to go to the United States to have children. Now they go to the United States with TSMC to allow them to give birth there legally. An enticing job offer.
In fact, the two agreed before marriage that they would not have children. This opportunity to go to the United States changed the family plan. “It is worth considering to have a child while taking advantage of this job opportunity.” The family also agreed with their decision very much, “They want to hug Grandchildren, and the elders had the concept of ‘American citizenship’ earlier than me.”
Go to the United States to get married and plan to have two children in three years
Mr. J and Ms. C, who just got engaged two months ago, have arrived in the United States. They also plan to have a baby in the United States. “It’s best to have two children within three years,” Ms. C joked to the BBC Chinese reporter, “If we live in Taiwan and want to go to the United States to give birth, it will cost a lot of money, because at least two or three years of living in the local area will be required to have one.” Months, now we live in the United States and give birth directly here, saving the cost of having a child.”
image source,Supplied
Mr. J and Ms. C, a couple of engineers, have arrived in the United States and often travel around on weekends.
The fiancé, Mr. J, said: “Of course it doesn’t mean that you are born with it, but you will have this idea. If you have children, the environment and education here are better than Taiwan.”
“Most couples without children plan to have children, which is very common.” Mr. J and Ms. C said.
The two are currently staying in a hotel in Phoenix City. In January next year, they will officially move into a community known as “TSMC Village” developed by the company in cooperation with local builders. They will live in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment and start a new life of living together. . The rent is about 2,000 US dollars, most of which are subsidized by the company.
Rewinding to two years ago, the original intention of the post-90s couple to agree to go to the United States was not because of family considerations. They had not started dating at that time, but they both yearned for the experience of working overseas.
Mr. J has more than 6 years of experience in TSMC, and he just masters the technology required by the new American factory. He is the most qualified and preferentially selected engineer. He said that when the supervisor asked everyone’s wishes, he was one of the very few people who agreed without saying a word, “Because I am looking forward to going abroad, the supervisor should be very happy and don’t need to spend time convincing me. You have to persuade people who have no intention at all. very hard. ”
Ms. C originally worked in the factory area of Taichung Science and Technology Park. She said that she went to Europe for an exchange during her studies and liked living abroad. When her supervisor asked her about her wishes two years ago, she was very active in considering it. However, she was still single at the time and was opposed by her family. “My parents felt that it was not safe for me to go to the United States as a girl, and they also thought that I was about the same age, and hoped that I would get married.”
Ignoring her family’s objections, she silently applied for an overseas transfer. After two rounds of interviews, she was accepted. Then she was transferred to the mother factory in Tainan for a year of training. There, she met and fell in love with Mr. J from the same factory. got engaged. She said with a smile: “Now the family is very relieved, because I have my fiancé to accompany me, so I don’t have to worry about my marriage. We will register in the United States.”
Including Phoenix, where TSMC is located, the locations of several major chip companies are not located in the bustling central cities of the United States.
“Salary cut to the United States”
The “TSMC Village” where they are about to live is about 15 minutes’ drive from the new factory. The company provides them with one car for each person to facilitate commuting, and also provides medical insurance, education subsidies and other benefits. But they said that “from an economic point of view, it is not very ideal to come to the United States.” The salary of expatriates is doubled, and the dividends are the same as in Taiwan, but the local consumption level is about three times that of Taiwan, and there are additional tax costs. Comparing the prices of the two places, it is a salary cut to go to the United States.”
Ms. C revealed that the company “spoken very vaguely” at the recruitment briefing, “thought that the subsidy was sufficient, but it turned out that some money still had to be paid by itself, for example, the rent was not fully subsidized, and taxes had to be paid in both places, and the company only subsidized Part of it.” Mr. J said frankly that now he wants to reduce the quality of life, “I used to buy whatever I thought of, and I often went to restaurants to eat, but now I have to save food and cook it myself.”
In terms of opportunities for promotion, Mr. J said, “Taiwan must be better for promotion.” Taiwan’s factories are constantly expanding. For example, there will be new factories in Kaohsiung, and there will be many job vacancies. On the contrary, workers in American factories will give priority to local people in the long run.
Even so, both of them said they didn’t mind too much, believing that “life experience is the most important thing” and believed that cross-cultural work experience can help broaden horizons and train new thinking. There will be extra points.”
image source,Getty Images
Behind Biden (first from left) is the TSMC plant under construction.
Ready to jump ship?
TSMC engineers have always been known for their hard work and “sell their livers”. Due to the tight time pressure on R&D and production, overtime is the norm. Many people work 13 or 14 hours a day, and even shifts and night shifts must be on call at any time.
Mr. J and Ms. C estimate that this overworked work culture will be transplanted to the new factory in the United States in the early stage. After all, 60% of the employees are from Taiwan, and they all have the DNA of selling livers. However, with the localization of the factory area, Mr. J believes that the company will slowly adjust its work rhythm and more and more integrate with the American corporate culture. It can help to apply for a green card and let him take root.
Ms. C said that in the past few years, the work pressure at TSMC has been too high, and the health alarm has sounded. In addition, if she plans to have children, she must balance work and family. It’s not good for kids.”
She has a long-term plan to leave Taiwan-funded enterprises. She regards the three years of expatriation as a springboard to accumulate enough experience in the United States. After three years, she can jump to AMD, Apple, Intel, Samsung and other technology companies. Better and should be more able to take care of life.”
Not all engineers want to be based in the US, though. Mr. Li, who went to the United States to give birth to a child, said that life in Taiwan is comfortable. His parents and family members are all in Taiwan, and he does not want to leave home for too long. This is a consensus with his wife. He categorically stated that he would return in three years: “I don’t want to be an American, and I don’t want to apply for a green card.”
But if the child has American citizenship, his family will be guaranteed. He half-jokingly said: “If the CCP comes in 20 years later, I might be able to naturalize in the United States as a relative.”
U.S. President Joe Biden and TSMC Chairman Liu Deyin (right)