CROSS-STRAIT SEMICONDUCTOR INVESTMENT - BUMPY ROAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002919 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/TC E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2016 TAGS: EINV EIND ECON CH TW SUBJECT: CROSS-STRAIT SEMICONDUCTOR INVESTMENT - BUMPY ROAD TO LIBERALIZATION REF: A. 05 TAIPEI 2743 ¶B. TAIPEI 1481 Classified By: AIT Deputy Director Robert S. Wang, Reason 1.4 d ¶1. (C) Summary: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced in April that it would lift the ban on investment in semiconductor packaging and testing in the PRC. However, the only application for such investment to date was denied. Semiconductor manufacturers were also disappointed recently when the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) backed away from statements that it would lift restrictions on more advanced manufacturing investment this month. Cross-Strait economic liberalization remains protracted, but progress is being made. End summary. MOEA Lifts Restrictions... -------------- ¶2. (U) MAC Chairman Joseph Wu announced on April 27, 2006, that Taiwan would permit firms to invest in semiconductor packaging and testing facilities in the PRC. Packaging and testing firms take semiconductor wafers, cut them into individual chips, and package the chips as finished integrated circuits. Although Taiwan firms would be limited to processes using less advanced technologies in the Mainland, packaging and testing firms here are eager to take advantage of the lifting of the ban. Two of the world's top three semiconductor packaging and testing firms are Taiwan companies, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industries Co. Ltd. (SPIL). Packaging and testing accounts for approximately 15 percent of total revenue for Taiwan's semiconductor industry. For several years prior to the announcement, packaging and testing firms had repeatedly urged the Taiwan authorities to lift investment restrictions. But Denies First Application -------------- ¶3. (C) Representatives of both ASE and SPIL have expressed strong disappointment at the authorities' implementation of the new loosened restrictions. In late May, SPIL became the first firm to submit an application under the new regulations. As SPIL Director of Investment Relations Janet Chen explained to AIT/T, SPIL had been approved more than two years ago to invest in the PRC in production of packaging and testing inputs. At that time, Taiwan authorities authorized SPIL to invest up to US$50 million. When the relaxed restrictions were announced, SPIL had only invested US$30 million. Its application for packaging and testing investment was actually a request to recategorize the remaining US$20 million as packaging and testing investment. MOEA's Investment Commission rejected the application. ¶4. (C) SPIL's Chen speculated that the Investment Commission did not approve of the "trick" that SPIL tried to use by requesting permission to redirect the investment that had already been approved. Echoing Chen, ASE Financial Controller Freddie Liu commented to AIT/T that SPIL's application may have created the appearance that SPIL had already begun to invest illegally in packaging and testing services, effectively forcing MOEA to deny the application. However, Huang Chin-tan, Executive Secretary of the MOEA's Investment Commission, explained to AIT/T that SPIL's rejection was nothing more than a failure to provide the necessary documentation. Industry Wants More Guidance -------------- ¶5. (C) Both ASE's Liu and SPIL's Chen complained that MOEA's guidance on what type of investment in the PRC would be permitted was inadequate. The announcement specified that investment in low-end wire bonding processes would be permitted. Liu pointed out that nearly 90 percent of ASE's operations use wire bonding technology, including some highly-advanced processes. With the current guidelines, it is not clear to these firms what can be approved. Liu noted that they would have to provide extensive details of the processes they planned to use in order for MOEA to assess their proposals. Chen predicted that they would have to enter into extended TAIPEI 00002919 002 OF 002 negotiations with regulators on the specific type of operations they would undertake. Despite industry complaints, Huang of MOEA's Investment Commission told us that MOEA had no plans to issue more detailed guidance. Urgent Need to Invest -------------- ¶6. (C) Liu said that ASE would file its investment application in September. (Note: ASE already has facilities in the Mainland that make packaging and testing components, specifically printed circuit boards and discrete devices. End note.) Liu explained that ASE believes Taiwan does not have an adequate supply of skilled labor to meet the needs of ASE's ambitious plans for expansion. He also underscored the need to begin packaging and testing in the PRC to meet demand from customers specifically requesting services in the Mainland. SPIL's Chen also noted that many customers want packaging and testing work performed in the Mainland to reduce PRC value-added taxes by increasing local content. SPIL plans to submit a new application to MOEA soon. Semiconductor Manufacturers Also Disappointed -------------- ¶7. (C) Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturers have also been disappointed after initially promising announcements from MOEA. Taiwan firms have long argued that they should be allowed to build semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the Mainland that produce chips with feature size of 0.18 microns. Currently, they are limited to 0.25-micron technology, which is four generations behind the most advanced chips in mass production. On August 1, then Minister of Economic Affairs Hwang Ing-san said that Taiwan would announce regulations for 0.18-micron investment by the end of August. Hwang was fired from the post of MOEA Minister two days after the announcement. On August 6, his replacement, Steve Chen, backed away from Hwang's statement saying that Taiwan authorities would need more time to consider lifting the ban on 0.18-micron investment. Huang of MOEA's Investment Commission told AIT/T that the decision would depend mainly on the political environment. He said it could still take months, but hoped that the restriction will be lifted before the end of the year. Comment - Progress, Despite a Few Bumps -------------- ¶8. (C) Although many in Taiwan's semiconductor industry have been disappointed by recent developments, the trend of the last several months has clearly been heading toward further liberalization of hi-tech investment in the Mainland. Despite problems in implementation, lifting the restrictions on packaging and testing is the first major breakthrough in cross-Strait investment for the semiconductor industry since Taiwan announced it would permit 0.25-micron manufacturing investment in March 2002. It seems increasingly likely that the ban on 0.18-micron investment will soon be lifted as well. Liberalization of cross-Strait restrictions remains a protracted and difficult process, but progress is being made. YOUNG