Hsu, Kristy Tsun Tzu, 2024/08/25
A special report published by Bloomberg in mid-April 2024 pointed out that Taiwan is using the advantages of its semiconductor industry to enhance its international status and break through the diplomatic blockade of mainland China. Through technical cooperation agreements with the United States, Canada, France, Germany and other countries and the establishment of a chip design training base in Prague, the Czech Republic, Taiwan has accelerated its "chip diplomacy" strategy. In addition, the opening of TSMC's new wafer fab in Kumamoto, Japan, and the establishment of a wafer fab by Power Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in India in cooperation with Tata Electronics, both show Taiwan's active expansion in the global semiconductor field.
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Kristy Hsu, 2023/10/06
Taiwan plays a vital role in the global supply chain, producing manufactured products ranging from textiles and garments to technology products, including semiconductors, doing so in numerous Taiwan-invested manufacturing facilities around the world. Under growing tensions between major countries and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have led to supply-chain restructuring, Taiwanese companies have considered, or have already, adopted a different investment strategy in China. In 2022, Taiwan’s latest investment flows in China dropped to less than 40 percent of its global outbound investment, demonstrating a strategy of decentralization and relocation from China. The past five years have also witnessed a significant growth in Taiwan investment flows into Southeast Asia and the U.S. Under the changing external environment and a diversification strategy, TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, announced an investment plan in Arizona, which will begin production of 4-nanometer process technology in 2024. TSMC also announced investment plans in Fukumoto, Japan, and in August 2023, a joint venture in Dresden, Germany. These moves are in response to the national strategy of the U.S., the EU and Japan, and will help those countries secure access to semiconductors in the event of disruptions in the supply chain. Taiwan needs to collaborate with its likeminded partners to address various challenges; it therefore needs to be invited to join the supply chain networks proposed by major countries.
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Hsu, Kristy Tsun Tzu, 2023/08/09
Commissioned by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan, the present study focuses on four global policy commissions under the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), namely the Commercial Law and Practice Commission, Digital Economy Commission, Trade and Investment Commission, and Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission, and aims to examine key topics discussed in the past three years, the recent issues of interest, ICC meeting rules and (despite limited information available) main proposal topics. Models of ICC participation among major countries in the Asia-Pacific region (China, Japan, Singapore) were also compared, and Taiwan’s current participation reviewed, with suggestions proposed accordingly.
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Hsu, Kristy Tsun Tzu、Li, Yi-Ching、Hsu, Yu-Chia, 2023/08/09
China is the world’s largest consumer and the second largest producer of cotton, with Xinjiang being the most significant cotton-producing region. As of 2020, local cotton production in Xinjiang accounted for 87% of China’s total output and 20% of global cotton production. Xinjiang cotton has been highly controversial due to longstanding allegations of forced labor against the Uyghur population. Following the inauguration of the Biden administration, the US imposed sanctions on several Xinjiang officials in March 2021. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was passed subsequently in December 2021, placing a blanket ban on goods from the region.
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