Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is considering building a second chip plant in Japan, following an $8.6 billion factory currently under construction in Kumamoto Prefecture, its chief executive officer said Thursday.Customers' requests and support from the Japanese government would be critical factors when making a decision on the second factory in Japan, Wei said.The upbeat comments on production came as the world's largest contract chipmaker the same day reported record earnings for 2022, driven by solid demand for chips for 5G network equipment and personal computers.The Taiwanese chipmaker is considering the second plant as the government is stepping up efforts to bolster supply chains for critical components, such as semiconductors, to improve the country's economic security.Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang said the chipmaker will cut capital spending to a range of $32 billion to $36 billion this year from $36.3 billion in 2022, as global inflation and intensifying competition with rivals have created an unclear business environment."