TSMC's co-COO played down the idea that Taiwan depends on one company, saying the island's talent would have built something else — a mildly reassuring message for anyone worried about concentration risk in chips.

• Asked what the world would look like without TSMC, co-COO Y.J. Mii said it would probably be "a bit troublesome," since global tech leans on its most advanced chipmaking.
• He credited the company's success to founder Morris Chang's leadership plus Taiwan's talent pool and infrastructure.
• Without TSMC, he argued, Taiwan would simply have produced other major companies instead.
• He also admitted a downside: TSMC soaks up so much of Taiwan's best talent that other local firms get fewer shots.

Outlook: The comments underline how hard TSMC would be to replace, which keeps the pressure on efforts to spread advanced chipmaking beyond Taiwan.