President Ma Ying-jeou met with Applied Materials, Inc. Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO Michael R. Splinter at the Presidential Office on the afternoon of June 5. The president welcomed Mr. Splinter on another visit to Taiwan and expressed his hopes that Applied Materials will continue to increase its investment here.
The president commented that last year when the two met, Mr. Splinter was CEO, and now he is also Chairman of the Board of Directors. Applied Materials remains the largest supplier of semiconductor equipment to Taiwan, he said. The president said he hopes the company will maintain and even increase its investment here. President Ma indicated that Taiwan has pegged green energy as a flagship industry. The decision to move in this direction was made when the economy was at its worst in February of this year. The government hopes that amid the industrial reshuffling taking place in the wake of the financial tsunami and the economic recession, industry here will continue to move forward in a steady manner. He said he hopes Applied Materials will continue to cooperate with the government in this regard, enabling Applied Materials and Taiwan to move together towards a prosperous future.
President Ma said that the last time he met with Mr. Splinter he specifically mentioned that Taiwan in the future would begin allowing semiconductor suppliers to invest in mainland China. Taiwan will act in accordance with the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, he said, adding that the government will not rule out allowing investment in 12-inch wafer plants in mainland China. The president indicated that the Ministry of Economic Affairs is still evaluating the issue. President Ma said that in fact Intel has already begun investing in mainland China. From Taiwan's perspective, we cannot only look at mainland China as a factory, but must also see it as a market, and work to secure market position there. This is also the lesson learned from the financial tsunami, he said. President Ma added that mainland China's domestic market is very important to us and it has enormous potential. We hope to cooperate with Applied Materials in this regard, he said.
Mr. Splinter expressed his appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him, and he expressed his confidence in Taiwan's industrial development. He said that cooperation will be strengthened in the future, generating even more opportunities.