AsianFin -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized in a recent CNBC interview that the United States cannot rely on Taiwan for semiconductor supply and must strengthen domestic chip production, comments that have sparked criticism among Taiwanese netizens on social media.

“For national security reasons, we must produce our own chips domestically,” Lutnick said. “We cannot depend on Taiwan, which is 9,500 miles from the U.S. and only 80 miles from China. Nearly all leading-edge chips should not be made there. That’s why we negotiated with South Korea and Japan to boost domestic manufacturing capacity.”

Lutnick also addressed U.S. subsidies under the CHIPS Act, noting that major semiconductor companies, including Taiwan’s TSMC, have benefited. He added that the Trump administration aims to convert such support into “equity for the American people” rather than simply issuing handouts.

Taiwanese media outlet Economic Daily News described Lutnick’s remarks as “shocking” in a report published Wednesday, highlighting the sensitivity of chip supply discussions for the island.