Taiwan Reduces Debt Amid Semiconductor Boom
On the 5th, at Hsinchu High-Speed Rail Station in Taiwan. Exiting the station, located northeast of Hsinchu—a city symbolizing Taiwan’s semiconductor industry—construction sites were visible among high-rise buildings and apartments. The Zhubei area north of Hsinchu, especially near the high-speed rail station, is emerging as a new affluent neighborhood. Luxury apartment complexes are springing up like bamboo shoots after rain, and high-income engineers from the Hsinchu Science Park are flocking here due to the 30–40-minute high-speed rail ride to the capital, Taipei. Liu Jianhong, who runs Taiching Real Estate, said, “The area near the high-speed rail station was barren just 10 years ago, but now it’s the most expensive land in Hsinchu. Over the past three years, housing prices have nearly doubled, with the average market price reaching approximately 38 million Korean won per pyeong, and the highest-priced apartments hitting around 4.5 billion Korean won, nearing the levels of Taipei’...