Taiwan chip makers win approval for China investments

Four Taiwanese chip assembly companies have won final approval to invest in China amid a global shake-up that could see a new king crowned in the industry.

The companies, which package and test chips before they are sold, can now move ahead with US$99.6 million in planned investments to China. The decision by Taiwan to allow the investments came more quickly than expected, amid rumors that a group of private equity firms may be building a global titan to compete with Taiwan's star chip assembler, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE).

ASE was among the companies approved for the investments, and allowing it to build more factories in China will help it to stave off potential new rivals by giving it access to China's lower-cost labor market. The investments will also help the Taiwanese companies take part in China's growing chip industry.

Taiwan granted permission for the investments to ASE, the world's largest assembly company, and three smaller rivals: Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Greatek Electronics, and Walton Advanced Engineering. Taiwanese companies are required to gain approval for high-tech investments in China because Taipei fears the technology may boost the military threat against the island.

Taiwanese chip assemblers have been at odds with regulators for years over the slow pace of China investment approvals. Taipei appeared to give ground in the middle of last year, saying it would start allowing such investments, then continued dragging its feet on most applications. Recent consolidation in the sector may have finally prompted regulators to act.

Earlier this week, one of Taiwan's biggest financial newspapers, the Economic Daily News, reported that a deal by two private equity firms to buy Singapore's United Test and Assembly Center (UTAC) could result in a merger with the world's second largest chip assembly company, Amkor Technology, which could threaten ASE's dominance.

Affinity Equity Partners and Texas Pacific Group Capital agreed to buy UTAC for around S$2.2 billion (US$1.43 billion). The Singapore offices of both investment firms declined to comment Thursday on the Amkor rumors, though the talk appears to have moved Amkor's stock price. Its shares have climbed 5.2 percent so far this week to end at US$15.44 Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market, compared to a 0.6 percent rise in the Nasdaq Composite Index over the same time.

Analysts say the chip assembly sector has become more attractive to investors due to steadier profits. In other deals this year, Singapore's Temasek Holdings made a S$2.4 billion (US$1.56 billion) bid for Stats ChipPac. The Carlyle Group, another private equity firm, in April scrapped a US$5.5 billion deal to buy ASE after the two companies failed to agree on a higher offering price.

ASE displaced U.S-based Amkor as the world's largest chip packaging and testing company at the end of 2003, highlighting the exodus of chip production to lower-cost Asian countries. But since then Amkor has been making investments in China, while ASE has been largely held back by Taiwanese regulators.

Analysts view China as an important location for chip investment because of its lower costs and growing clout in the industry. Intel announced a plan in March to spend US$2.5 billion on a plant in China to take advantage of lower production costs there.

Taiwan's chip makers say the heavy regulations they face at home have put them at a disadvantage in China. Labor makes up a significant portion of the costs in chip assembly -- around 20 percent, compared to around 5 percent for actual chip fabrication. Fabricators etch transistors and other components on chips, while assemblers package the chips inside protective coating.

Taipei's approval on Thursday gives ASE the green light to invest US$21.6 million for a 60 percent stake in a venture with NXP Semiconductors in Suzhou, China. Regulators also approved investments of US$30 million by Siliconware and US$18 million by Walton in the same place. Greatek received permission to invest US$30 million in Jiangsu, China.

"We are happy to see the news. We have been waiting for this," said Janet Chen, a spokesperson at Siliconware.

Taiwan and China remain enemies after splitting in 1949 amid civil war, the reason Taipei remains wary of allowing certain high tech investments to the mainland. Despite their strained relationship, China remains the favored destination for Taiwanese investment due to their shared language and culture, as well as China's lower costs and incentives for building factories.

As part of their China applications, the four Taiwanese companies all included plans to continue investing at home. In all, they pledged to invest NT$75 billion (US$2.29 billion) in Taiwan over the next three years, including NT$40 billion from ASE, NT$20 billion from Siliconware, NT$10 billion from Greatek and NT$5 billion from Walton.