TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — TSMC’s planned NT$3.29 trillion (US$100 billion) investment in the US was the subject of mockery and criticism at KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin’s (徐巧芯) anti-recall rally on Saturday.

Political commentator and pollster Wu Zi-jia (吳子嘉) was critical of recent actions by TSMC Chair C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wu said, “I woke up and found that TSMC had been sold,” later disparaging Wei as an “ugly, fat man,” per NewTalk.

The remarks elicited laughter from Hsu and former legislator and current political commentator Kuo Cheng-liang (郭正亮). When news of Wu's comments became public, many denounced them as shameful. 

Liberty Times technology columnist Hsu Mei-hua (許美華) said the comments were “ridiculous and pathetic.” UMC Founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠) called on voters to quickly recall KMT Legislator Hsu.

Hsu said, "Even if you don't understand semiconductors or international geopolitics, do you understand the importance of TSMC? As a result of this, the KMT mocked C.C. Wei. Do the elite within the KMT feel ashamed?"

Hsu added that the KMT could not criticize specific details of TSMC's investment in the US.  As a result, "they are engaged in an outrageous drama to mock C.C. Wei as an ugly fat man. If this happened elsewhere, it would be a serious incident requiring an apology from the party chair."

UMC founder Tsao was also critical of the remarks. "The improvement in Taiwan-US relations has dealt a heavy blow to China's civilian and military intimidation of Taiwan. So China ordered their dogs in Taiwan to start barking and cursing TSMC."

Tsao criticized Hsu for enlisting the commentators to drum up support. He called upon all the voters in Hsu's Taipei district to sign a recall petition.

Hsu responded to criticism on Facebook, describing her laughter as being caught off guard by Wu’s crass comments about Wei. Furthermore, she claimed that many people making a big fuss about the matter are just trying to sow discord and take advantage of the situation.