Google's China shift and the battle over AI models

August 20, 2026 17:41 JSTHi everyone! This is Lauly, your #techAsia host this week, sending warm greetings from humid and rainy Taipei.I was chatting with an executive working for an Apple supplier last night about the dynamics in his industry. He told me he recognized Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s importance to the global tech industry as early as the 2000s and that he even publicly argued with a well-known media figure who didn't appreciate the contract chipmaker's value.In a fit of pique, he said, he bought 20 million New Taiwan dollars ($627,274) worth of TSMC shares at an average price of NT$55 each and hasn't sold a single share since. With TSMC's stock price currently above NT$2,300, the value of his holdings has ballooned to around NT$840 million."All the fine dining and