The Economic Security Program of the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) was recently invited to participate in a policy roundtable hosted by the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations (PCFR). The DSET delegation included Professor Wen-Ling Tu, Director of DSET; Min-yen Chiang, Deputy Director of the Economic Security Program; and Chih-Hua Tseng, Non-Resident Fellow of the Economic Security Program.
PCFR is a leading foreign policy organization in the Greater Phoenix area, long dedicated to convening perspectives from the public and private sectors and connecting local industry communities with U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. In her opening remarks, PCFR President Dr. Lily McElwee warmly welcomed the DSET delegation and noted that the dialogue took place at a critical juncture for U.S.–Taiwan semiconductor cooperation. She also highlighted that DSET was the first Taiwan-based national-level think tank to visit PCFR.
Participants in the roundtable represented a broad range of backgrounds, including major advanced semiconductor manufacturers in Arizona, suppliers within the advanced packaging supply chain, defense-industry investors, and experts from the Arizona state government, Arizona State University (ASU), and the University of Arizona. The discussion reflected strong cross-sector engagement and addressed the intersection of technology policy and geopolitics in depth.
The roundtable opened with an overview by Professor Tu, who introduced DSET’s mission and core research areas. She highlighted recent trends in Taiwanese semiconductor investment in the United States and emphasized the importance for policymakers on both sides to consider how this cooperation can be managed in a sustainable and strategically grounded manner over the long term.
Deputy Director Min-yen Chiang framed his remarks around semiconductor security, drawing on DSET’s accumulated research on China’s national semiconductor strategy and its global implications. He emphasized that the current window for U.S.–Taiwan semiconductor cooperation must be carefully leveraged to address and mitigate structural risks associated with “Made in China” industrial strategies. Chiang stressed that while supporting Taiwan’s continued innovation in frontier technologies is essential, deeper integration with U.S. markets, talent pools, and manufacturing and supply chain ecosystems will be equally critical.
Non-Resident Fellow Chih-Hua Tseng shared findings from his recently published research on China–Malaysia technology cooperation and data center development, using the case to explore how economic security can be addressed at the local and municipal level. He noted that assessing economic security requires locally grounded indicators, including regional capabilities and development potential, corporate control structures of incoming firms, and the actual economic and welfare impacts of development projects. Tseng further emphasized the need for coordination between local and central governments on infrastructure, land use, and investment promotion, as well as the role of local communities in workforce development, skills upgrading, and social integration.
Responding to DSET’s analysis, Grace O’Sullivan, Vice President at Arizona State University overseeing partnerships related to TSMC, noted that ASU, as a leading academic institution in the Phoenix area, has long focused on building innovation clusters centered on forward-looking talent development. She highlighted the university’s growing strategic partnerships with Taiwanese semiconductor firms investing in the region. Thomas Maynard, Senior Vice President of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), also emphasized the strong expectations among local industry stakeholders that Taiwanese semiconductor investment will generate tangible innovation momentum for the regional ecosystem.
During the discussion, Professor Tu additionally shared insights from her long-term research on Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, focusing on energy access and environmental sustainability. Her remarks prompted further exchange among participants on the challenges of industrial sustainability and the need for policy coordination.
At this critical moment for Taiwanese semiconductor investment in the United States, DSET continues to invest in deepening policy dialogue and expanding the analytical foundations for U.S.–Taiwan semiconductor cooperation. During the visit, the DSET delegation also met with several scholars at Arizona State University and discussed opportunities to deepen research collaboration and personnel exchanges through the emerging partnership between ASU and National Chengchi University’s College of Innovation and International Studies. In addition, DSET visited the headquarters of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and met with President and CEO Christine Mackay to exchange views on the nearly seven-year trajectory of Taiwanese semiconductor investment in the United States and the key challenges ahead in areas such as industrial sustainability, regional governance, and policy coordination.
