The powerful earthquake that shook Taiwan on Wednesday, 3rd of April, was the strongest earthquake to hit the renegade Chinese province in 25 years. The 7.4 earthquake has killed at least nine people and injured more than a thousand, and has sent a different type of shockwave throughout the world, particularly the west.

It is telling that initial expressions of concern were not so much for the people of Taiwan, but for the production plants that have a monopoly of production of the advanced chips that so much of western technology depends.

Everything that the western public takes for granted, every time saving or entertainment device, every mobile phone, laptop, computer, every car, plane, ship or train, every power plant, water treatment facility, payment device, the devices in hospitals that scan you or keep your heart running, if it has a high-end chip in it, most likely it comes from a factory in Taiwan.

Wake-up Call!

The earthquake caused a stoppage in production of such chips for several hours, causing a loss of hundreds millions of dollars, not only to the manufacturers, but to the tech companies that need the chips for their products.

Luckily for the world’s tech companies, Taiwan has spent many years (and, I suspect, huge sums), often funded by the West, researching and implementing methods of construction to mitigate the effect of severe earthquakes on its most vital industry, and after inspection of the factories, production recommenced.

One has to question how and why chip making, particularly that involving strategic semiconductors, became so incredibly concentrated in one place, especially given the supposed aims of globalization and the idea of redundancy of supply.

Memories of convenience

The question becomes even more pointed when we remember that Taiwan is a rogue province of China, and recognized as such by the pretty........

© New Eastern Outlook