Surrounded by fields of carrots and cabbages, workers are putting the finishing touches to a factory opening on Saturday that is a milestone for both US ally Japan and Taiwanese chip giant TSMC.

The $8.6-billion facility in the southern Kumamoto region showcases TSMC's efforts to make some of its strategically crucial chips elsewhere than hotspot Taiwan, as well as Japan's push to revive its once-dominant semiconductor sector.

The self-ruled island is a silicon superpower but worries have grown about the global chip supply chain because of growing military and diplomatic pressure from China, which claims Taiwan.

The plant is "the most significant TSMC international investment to open in many years", said Chris Miller, Tufts University associate professor and author of "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology".

"It will also solidify the political relationship between Taiwan and Japan at a time when Taiwan is looking to make sure it's got powerful friends that can help it stand up to Chinese pressure," Miller told AFP.

Firms like Toshiba and NEC helped Japan dominate in........

© International Business Times