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Earlier today, speaking at an investment conference during a visit to Taipei, Republican Arizona governor Doug Ducey stated that that the new TSMC chip plant is making "excellent progress," while going on to praise his state’s role in training Taiwan’s fighter pilots.

Ducey added that “Just over two years later TSMC has completed construction for its main facility and continues to make excellent progress and is even more impressive in person."

Ducey further noted that "Along with TSMC’s historic investment, roughly two dozen Taiwanese-based (supply chain) suppliers are finding Arizona is right for investment."

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, a major Apple supplier and the world’s largest contract chip maker, is constructing a US$12 billion plant in Arizona.

Ducey will be meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and companies in the semiconductor industry on his three-day trip.

The South China Morning Post added that "Ducey is the latest in a succession of officials from the United States to visit, defying pressure from Beijing for such trips not to take place."

China Daily reported earlier this month that the Chinese Government had expressed strong opposition to the United States' "unfair" new legislation on chip subsidies, saying that using political power to intervene in a sector that is highly globalized and based on market dynamics will eventually harm the interests of companies globally, including in the US.

The comments came after US President Joe Biden signed on Tuesday the Chips and Science Act to offer $52.7 billion in subsidies and extra tax credits for US semiconductor production and research.