TAIWAN
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) announced that it intends to invest $12 billion in the State of Arizona, starting in 2021, to develop the most state-of-the-art five nanometer semiconductor fabrication foundry in the world. The TSMC deal is a game changer for the U.S. semiconductor industry that will bolster American national security and our economic prosperity, according to Secretary of State Michel Pompeo.
He pointed out that “TSMC’s announcement comes at a critical juncture, when China is competing to dominate cutting-edge technology and control critical industries. The TSMC facility in Arizona will increase U.S. economic independence, bolster our safety and competitiveness, and strengthen our leadership in high-tech manufacturing. This historic deal also strengthens our relationship with Taiwan, a vibrant democracy and force for good in the world.”
Returning high-tech chip manufacturing to the United States will help the country power everything from artificial intelligence to 5G base stations to F-35s and create highly-skilled jobs.
BELARUS
This week, the first shipment of U.S. crude oil will depart for Belarus, according to the State Department. “This competitive deal, by U.S. energy trader United Energy Trading, with the assistance of U.S. firm Getka and their Polish partner UNIMOT, strengthens Belarusian sovereignty and independence, demonstrates that the United States is ready to deliver trade opportunities for American companies interested in entering the Belarusian market, and fulfills the commitment the United States made to Belarus in February with government leaders in Minsk,” according to Pompeo.
CHINA
In a background briefing held in Germany with a senior State Department official, he said that Secretary Pompeo“… doesn’t have a problem with people having relationships with China or having trade with China, but I think COVID sort of highlights the dangers of dealing with states that are not transparent, that don’t have fair trade practices, that really leverage and torque their trade to leverage certain things out of their trade partners.”
In particular, he added, that the Administration is concerned about the issue of strategic investment. In China there is no concept as something that is privately owned or an independent company. The official pointed out that if someone uses Huawei, or if one uses any type of company that has access to a person’s DNA, that DNA becomes property and that information becomes property of the Chinese Communist Party. This is a major security concern for western nations, including the United States, which is leading the fight to stop China from accessing and controlling critical American data.
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In a strongly worded written statement Pompeo condemned the heinous terrorist attacks in Afghanistan on Tuesday. “I an unconscionable assault, gunmen seized one of Kabul’s busiest hospitals, which housed a maternity ward run by Doctors Without Borders. In the hospital, the terrorists took the lives of at least 13 innocent people, including newborn babies, new mothers, and health care workers. Any attack on innocents is unforgivable, but to attack infants and women in labor in the sanctuary of a hospital is an act of sheer evil.”
Separately, in the eastern province of Nangarhar, a suicide bomber attacked the funeral of a local police commander, leaving at least 26 people dead and more than 68 wounded. The Secretary called the attacks during the holy month of Ramadan and during the COVID-19 threat “particularly appalling.”
Pompeo added that “ As long as there is no sustained reduction in violence and insufficient progress towards a negotiated political settlement, Afghanistan will remain vulnerable to terrorism. The Afghan people deserve a future free from terror, and the ongoing peace process continues to present a critical opportunity for Afghans to come together to build a united front against the menace of terrorism.”
SEA TURTLES
Although it may not make a front-page headline, the State Department plays an important role in protecting wildlife all over the world. As part of that mission, each year the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that governments and authorities of shrimp-harvesting nations and economies have programs to reduce the incidental taking of sea turtles in shrimp trawl fisheries.
This year, the Department suspended the certification of the People’s Republic of China for using shrimp trawl fishing methods that may adversely affect sea turtles. The Department also suspended the certification of Venezuela because the former Maduro regime would not permit the U.S. technical team into the country to assess Venezuela’s shrimp harvesting practices. Six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.
Illustration: Pixabay