Microchip chief gives $100m to defend Taiwan from China

A TAIWANESE microchip tycoon has pledged $100m (£82m) towards his country’s defences and urged citizens to stand up to the “evil” Chinese Communist Party.

Robert Tsao said he was donating the money to Taiwan’s defence department to help safeguard “freedom, democracy, and human rights”. The 75-year-old urged people to “stand up and fight” rather than give way to “unification with a gang of outlaws”.

His comments came hours after China sent ballistic missiles and fighter jets over the Taiwanese mainlan. Beijing’s “unprecedented” show of force, which also includes four days of military exercises ending tomorrow, is meant as a punishment after Taiwan hosted a visit from Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, this week.

Mr Tsao is the founder of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), one of the world’s biggest chip makers. He urged his fellow citi- zens to “see through the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party”, according to Taiwan News.