Trump says Taiwan should pay for defence, sending TSMC stock down

FILE PHOTO: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's
 (TSMC) logo is seen while people attend the opening
of the TSMC global R&D center in Hsinchu

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan should pay the United States for its defence as it does not give the country anything, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said, sending shares of Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC down on Wednesday. 

"I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100% of our chip business. I think, Taiwan should pay us for defence," Trump said in interview with Bloomberg Businessweek on June 25 but published on Tuesday. 

"You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything."

TSMC is the dominant maker of advanced chips used in everything from AI applications to smartphones and fighter jets, and analyst believe any conflict over Taiwan would decimate the world economy.

Full story at Yahoo News.