On November 18 2024, DSET and the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club (TFCC) co-hosted a roundtable discussion with international journalists to examine the impact of the U.S. presidential election on Taiwan-U.S. technology geopolitics.
The event featured presentations from DSET President Wen-Ling Tu, CEO Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang, and research program directors, who shared insights from DSET’s latest research on geostrategic technology policy.
More than 20 international media outlets attended, including CNN, Bloomberg, Nikkei Asia, The New York Times, The Washington Post, AFP, NPR, and Voice of America. Journalists engaged in in-depth discussions with DSET researchers, raising key questions on Taiwan’s role in emerging technologies, economic security, and cross-strait relations.
DSET’s research teams presented findings on:
- Semiconductor economic security and the “Silicon Shield 2.0” initiative
- Taiwan’s energy resilience in the event of a blockade
- Dual-use technologies, including drones and low-Earth orbit satellites
- China’s use of generative AI for information manipulation
Key Questions from Foreign Media
📌 Nikkei Asia: Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Chia-Lung Lin recently led a delegation of drone manufacturers to Lithuania. What does this mean for Taiwan’s foreign policy?
DSET’s National Security Research Fellow, Chun-Kuei Lai, explained that de-risking Taiwan’s drone supply chain from China is a crucial issue. As global concerns over Chinese drones grow, demand for alternative suppliers is increasing in the U.S. and Europe. The Lithuania visit creates an opportunity for Taiwanese companies to expand cooperation with European partners.
📌 The Washington Post: There have been reports of loopholes in U.S. export controls. What does DSET see as the key reforms needed?
DSET CEO Jeremy Chih-Cheng Chang noted that global supply chains are inherently complex, making unilateral export controls difficult to enforce. Taiwan is no exception. However, Taiwan’s exclusion from international export control negotiations has worsened these regulatory gaps. He emphasized that Taiwan should be included in global regulatory frameworks to enhance supply chain security.
📌 NPR: How will the U.S. election results affect climate policy and supply chain de-risking?
DSET’s Climate and Sustainability Resilience Research Program Director, Tsai-Ying Lu, acknowledged uncertainty over U.S. climate policy but argued that this presents an opportunity for Taiwan to strengthen regional cooperation. Taiwan could play a key role in solar energy supply chains and work with Japan and South Korea to build a more resilient clean energy network in Asia.
📌 The New York Times: Taiwan’s Presidential Office recently established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee to enhance civil defense preparedness. DSET President Wen-Ling Tu is a member—what role does this committee play in Taiwan’s national defense strategy?
President Wen-Ling Tu explained that the committee’s goal is to integrate expertise from multiple sectors to strengthen Taiwan’s civil defense strategy. Her role focuses on energy resilience, where she collaborates with government agencies to collect data for assessing Taiwan’s energy and infrastructure security in wartime scenarios. She emphasized that DSET is fully committed to supporting the committee’s research efforts.
Strengthening Taiwan’s International Engagement in Tech Policy
This roundtable marked DSET’s first co-hosted event with the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club (TFCC). Moving forward, DSET will continue collaborating with TFCC to promote Taiwan’s role in global technology and geopolitics, fostering stronger international policy engagement and research exchange.