Source: NYT > Business (paywall)
Hsinchu's emergence as a high-income city reflects the concentration of wealth generated by Taiwan's dominance in semiconductor manufacturing—a supply chain chokepoint that now shapes real estate, demographics, and urban planning. The rising birthrate among affluent chip workers shows how geopolitical economic leverage translates into lifestyle choices and social stratification, creating a two-tier Taiwan where proximity to the semiconductor industry determines who can afford to live where. Supply chain criticality doesn't distribute wealth evenly; it clusters it, and whoever controls the nodes controls the cities.