On December 18, 2025, the Research Center for Technology, Democracy and Society (DSET) hosted a visiting delegation including Piero Tozzi, Deputy Staff Director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), Research Associate Andrews Hartnett, and representatives from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), including Economic Officer Beth Gee and Political Officer Connie Chung. The delegation and DSET exchanged views on semiconductor supply-chain security, energy resilience, the development of artificial intelligence (AI), and information manipulation, and discussed potential avenues for future cooperation.
During the meeting, DSET Executive Director Chih-cheng Chang briefed the delegation on the Center’s 11 policy reports published this year. He highlighted several trends that warrant sustained attention: China’s rapid expansion of semiconductor manufacturing capacity, its efforts to circumvent U.S. export controls, and the deployment of Chinese data centers across Southeast Asia—developments that may pose growing risks to global supply-chain security and the governance of critical technologies. DSET has also recently conducted outreach in Washington, D.C., meeting with relevant agencies and congressional offices to encourage U.S. action to counter the risks posed by China’s mature-node semiconductor capabilities and to close loopholes that enable export-control evasion. Advancing these priorities will remain a key focus for DSET over the coming year.
On energy issues, DSET Energy Resilience Program Director Tsaiying Lu underscored that Taiwan’s energy security is essential to the operation of the semiconductor industry on the island. While Taiwan remains highly dependent on imported energy, it has in recent years diversified its sources of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and improved system flexibility by drawing on a mix of coal-fired and renewable generation. Over the past year, DSET has continued to model Taiwan’s energy supply under blockade and conflict scenarios. In the year ahead, the Center will publish related policy reports and monitor ongoing legislative efforts in Washington aimed at strengthening Taiwan’s energy security and expanding U.S.-Taiwan cooperation.
On democratic governance and the information environment, DSET Democratic Governance Program Director Kai-shen Huang noted that rapid technological advances have made AI-generated content increasingly realistic and easier to disseminate at scale. Without corresponding institutional reforms and policy updates, Taiwan’s current defensive and response mechanisms may struggle to keep pace with a more complex and evolving threat landscape.
The visiting delegation expressed strong interest in DSET’s research agenda and welcomed continued engagement on these issues.
The CECC is an independent, bipartisan commission of the U.S. Congress tasked with monitoring human rights conditions and the rule of law in China. In July, the CECC convened a hearing titled “Standing with Taiwan: Countering the PRC’s Political Warfare,” and in December it released its annual report highlighting concerns including transnational repression, forced labor, and unfair trade practices.
