“Mountain Makers” Director Hsiao Chu-chen: Taiwan Can’t Afford to Relax After Reaching World No. 1

(CNA reporter Chen Yun-yu, London, June 16) Hsiao Chu-chen, director of the documentary 'Mountain Makers,' chronicling the development of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, said that after creating TSMC—the world's leading semiconductor foundry—Taiwan now faces intense international competition and geopolitical maneuvering. There is only one path forward: redoubling efforts. Taiwan simply cannot afford to relax, rest, or waste energy on internal conflicts.

Hsiao told CNA she hopes viewers of 'Mountain Makers' will not focus solely on Taiwan's semiconductor success or the so-called 'formula for success.' Instead, she wants audiences to recognize how 'Taiwan as a nation and the Taiwanese people have, through determination and perseverance, strived to transform their fate amid adversity.'

As Taiwan confronts severe internal and external challenges, what attitude will each Taiwanese individual adopt, and what choices will they make? Hsiao expressed her hope that every Taiwanese person will embody the 'Mountain Maker' spirit—what she also calls the 'Guardian' spirit.

'Mountain Makers' devotes significant screen time to the personal bonds among individuals across various fields who contributed to building Taiwan's semiconductor industry. Hsiao emphasized that these relationships are vital, as is their shared sense of patriotism and national commitment. Without deep passion and a powerful sense of mission, she noted, if people had approached this work merely as salaried employees collecting paychecks, Taiwan would not have today's 'national guardian mountain'—TSMC—and its world-leading semiconductor industry.

'They worked so hard because they deeply cared about how Taiwan could stand tall in the world,' Hsiao said.

The film explores the historical context of Taiwan's semiconductor development beginning in the 1970s, including shrinking international space and the looming shift in U.S. foreign policy. Though Taiwan's ambition to enter the semiconductor industry was not widely supported domestically or internationally at the time, Taiwan has since leveraged its semiconductor strengths to become a sought-after partner in the global wave of high-tech advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI).

Hsiao told CNA that despite ongoing international challenges, Taiwan is now experiencing 'the best international opportunity since the end of World War II.'

Yet, opportunities come with challenges and difficulties. Hsiao stressed that how Taiwan seizes and utilizes this opportunity, and how it builds cooperative relationships with the world, are critical questions requiring deep reflection. 'It would be a great pity if opportunities arise but Taiwan is unprepared, or lacks the strength and resources to capitalize on them,' she warned.

The Taiwan Research Programme at SOAS, University of London, hosted a screening of 'Mountain Makers' on the evening of June 15, attracting over 300 attendees. University staff said it was the most popular event in the center’s history. Hsiao attended the post-screening discussion and gave an exclusive interview to CNA.

Taiwan's Representative to the UK, Alexander Yui, opened the event by addressing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Taiwan 'stole' America’s semiconductor technology and chip business. Yui stated that anyone who watches 'Mountain Makers' would surely agree that such claims are unfounded.

Yui noted that the screening was part of a series of events Taiwan is organizing in response to London Tech Week 2026 (August 8–12). Events such as the ITRI UK Tech Day on June 9 and the 'AI Without Borders 2.0' forum hosted by Taiwan’s Representative Office on June 11 have demonstrated the vibrant technological collaboration between Taiwan and the UK.

At the SOAS post-screening talk, Hsiao shared that her goal was not to make a film about chips, but about Taiwan’s story—how it built a semiconductor industry 'from nothing' and the immense difficulty of reaching 'world number one.'

She recalled a moment during her U.S. tour in May when an American male college student asked her: 'Taiwan works so hard. If Taiwan weren’t number one, would it still have to suffer so much?'

Hsiao responded, 'For Taiwan, there is no option of not being number one.'

'Mountain Makers' will be screened in Cambridge on June 17. (Edited by Chen Cheng-kung) 1150616

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