TAIPEI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan Economy Minister Kuo

Jyh-huei said on Thursday that chipmaker TSMC would

need government permission for any overseas joint ventures, but

the government will not interfere in its decisions.

U.S. media have said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co ( TSM ),

the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major supplier to

companies such as Apple ( AAPL ) and Nvidia ( NVDA ), has been

in talks for a stake in Intel ( INTC ).

Neither company has confirmed this.