Tech Diplomacy Now: Focus on Taiwan
President Biden signed into law a U.S.- Taiwan trade bill; Krach Institute chair Keith Krach visited Taiwan and recognized President Tsai with the Tech Freedom Award and launched the Institute’s Taiwa
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Top News of the Week
Announcements
Latest News
Technology Strategy and Policy
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Critical Minerals
Synthetic Biology
Quantum
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Energy and Climate
Opinion and Commentary
Top News of the Week – U.S. and Japan Strengthen Ties with Taiwan
Last Monday, President Biden signed into law a bill that affirms the first U.S.- Taiwan trade agreement negotiated under the “U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.” The agreement does not include market access provisions but seeks to remove administrative and customs barriers between the two countries. Also working its way through Congress is a bill to end “double taxation” between Taiwan and the United States by granting the Biden Administration the authority to negotiate a tax agreement between the two countries.
This comes just a week after the Biden Administration announced a $345 million military aid package for Taiwan that pulls from existing U.S. military stockpiles. The military aid package is on top of the U.S. Government’s approval of $19 billion military sales to Taiwan.
At the same time, former Japanese Prime Minister, Taro Aso, visited Taiwan and gave a public speech calling for the United States and Japan to come to Taiwan’s defense if attacked by the PRC. Aso is a sitting member of the Japanese parliament and Vice President of the ruling LDP. He is the most senior Japanese politician to visit Taiwan in over 50 years. His visit comes a month after the Japanese Government hosted Taiwan’s Vice Premier in Tokyo, the most senior Taiwanese official to visit Japan in 29 years.
Then, former Under Secretary of State and Krach Institute Chairman Keith Krach returned to Taiwan after his historic trip three years ago. Krach focused on boosting the economic, scientific and technological ties between Taiwan and the United States. (More on Krach’s visit in the Announcements section below.)
This week, Taiwan’s Vice President and leading Presidential candidate, Lai Ching-te, will make two stops in the United States.
Despite pressure by Beijing to isolate Taiwan, both Washington and Tokyo are taking increasingly bold steps to strengthen their relations with the island democracy.
More background:
Biden signs law implementing first part of U.S. trade pact with Taiwan – Reuters, August 7, 2023
Japan ex-PM Taro Aso to go to Taiwan, speak on security at forum – Nikkei Asia, August 4, 2023
U.S. Announces $345 Million Military Aid Package for Taiwan – Time, July 29, 2023
View from Taiwan: KMT frames 2024 election as a choice between war and peace – Axios, May 23, 2023
Announcements
Our chairman, Keith Krach, visited Taiwan last week where he met with President Tsai Ing-wen, recognizing her with the Krach Institute’s Tech Freedom Award, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, Digital Minister Audrey Tang, and other government and private sector leaders. Krach delivered remarks on “Advancing Freedom Through Trusted Technology” at the National Chengchi University (NCCU), and signed the Taiwan Center for Innovation and Prosperity Memorandum of Understanding with Dr. Chi-Hung Lin, President of the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU).
The Taiwan Center’s mission is to enhance Taiwan’s prosperity, international standing, and sovereignty by offering technological expertise and diplomatic reinforcement. The Center will bridge U.S. investment, talent, and expertise through its expansive private sector network.
More about Keith Krach’s Taiwan visit:
President Tsai meets delegation from Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy - Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan)
President Tsai receives 'Tech Freedom Award' from U.S. think tank - Focus Taiwan, August 10, 2023
Purdue launching center to advocate for Taiwan - Taipei Times, August 12, 2023
Keith Krach: Global supply chain reshuffle great opportunity for Taiwan - Taiwan News, August 11, 2023
US, Taiwan can tighten cybersecurity - Taipei Times, August 11, 2023
Welcome, Strategy Risks, to the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy as our newest corporate member.
Strategy Risks is a political and business intelligence firm that provides tools and services to help clients analyze and manage their exposure in China by expertly navigating the highly restricted informational ecosystem through proprietary techniques, expertise in Chinese politics and economics, as well as AI/data mining abilities on the Chinese internet. We look forward to our partnership.
Join us on August 17th from 2:00-3:00 pm ET for a book talk with Daniel F. Ronde on reclaiming global leadership through soft power.
Latest News
How U.S. microchips are fueling Russia’s military — despite sanctions – CNBC, August 7, 2023
China hacked Japan’s sensitive defense networks, officials say – Washington Post, August 7, 2023
US dispatches warships after China and Russia send naval patrol near Alaska – The Guardian, August 6, 2023
Philippines and US accuse China of illegally targeting supply ships – Financial Times, August 5, 2023
A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a U.S. Tech Mogul – NYTs, August 5, 2023
Technology Strategy and Policy
The Era of Ultracheap Stuff Is Under Threat – WSJ, August 7, 2023
How Russia killed its tech industry – MIT Technology Review, August 4, 2023
The party’s over for Chinese venture capitalists in Silicon Valley amid souring Sino-US relations – SCMP, August 5, 2023
US Government Reviews Record Foreign Investments for National Security Risk – Wilmer Hale, August 4, 2023
India restricts laptop and server import to boost local manufacturing – Tech Crunch, August 2, 2023
Through a Glass, Darkly: Mapping Emerging Technologies and Their Supply Chains – CSET, August 2023
Artificial Intelligence
Age of AI: Everything you need to know about artificial intelligence – TechCrunch, August 4, 2023
The AI rules that US policymakers are considering, explained – Vox, August 1, 2023
CoreWeave raises $2.3 billion in debt collateralized by Nvidia chips – Reuters, August 3, 2023
AI Has Entered the Situation Room – Foreign Policy, June 19, 2023
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Huawei to revive smartphone business on the back of fresh AI-powered operating system even as US sanctions continue to bite – SCMP, August 7, 2023
Australia lawmakers recommend possible WeChat ban on gov't devices – Nikkei Asia, August 2, 2023
Critical Minerals
World battles to loosen China's grip on vital rare earths for clean energy transition – Reuters, August 2, 2023
US discussed 'creative ways' to help landlocked Mongolia export rare earths, officials say – Reuters, August 4, 2023
Claimed superconductor LK-99 is an online sensation — but replication efforts fall short – Nature, August 4, 2023
Prospecting with Partners: The Case for Bilateral Cooperation on Critical Minerals – CSIS, July 31, 2023
China tightens export restrictions on two chipmaking materials – Nikkei Asia, August 1, 2023
Synthetic Biology
A Japanese startup is using biotech to ‘brew’ greener fashion – Japan Times, August 6, 2023
There Is No Problem Biology Can't Solve…Except For Economics – SynBioBeta, August 1, 2023
Visualizing How Microbes Turn CO2 into Bioplastic – SynBioBeta, July 29, 2023
Quantum
The United States’ Quantum Talent Shortage Is a National Security Vulnerability – CNAS, July 31, 2023
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Indian equipment for China’s Tiangong space station faces export delay – SCMP, August 7, 2023
China's great race to build a SpaceX competitor – Nikkei Asia, August 2, 2023
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Taiwanese chip company TSMC comes to Germany – Handelsblatt, August 7, 2023
America is building chip factories. Now to find the workers – The Economist, August 5, 2023
Beijing wants its own EUV light source, a key part of the chip supply chain – The China Project, August 3, 2023
Infineon spends extra €5bn on Malaysia plant in bet on electric vehicles – Financial Times, August 2, 2023
Intel Plans Massive Expansion in Oregon: D1X and D1A to Be Upgraded – AnandTech, August 2, 2023
Energy and Climate
Chinese Maker of 1,000 Kilometer EV Battery Plans IPO by 2025 – Bloomberg, August 6, 2023
There’s something odd about where China is building solar power – Atlantic Council, July 27, 2023
Solar Supply Chain Grows More Opaque Amid Human Rights Concerns – NYTs, August 1, 2023
Opinion and Commentary
Inconvenient truths about the green transition – Financial Times, August 6, 2023
AI Has Finally Become Transformative – WSJ, August 2, 2023
America Is Driving Toward a New Supply Chain Crisis – Bloomberg, August 1, 2023
The Last Word
"Without a strong, resilient, free Taiwan, freedom everywhere will be imperiled by authoritarianism. No one knows that better than the people of Taiwan and no one has championed Taiwan as a force for good better than you, President Tsai."
– Keith Krach during his remarks at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei where he presented the Tech Freedom Award to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, Aug. 10, 202
About: Tech Diplomacy Now
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader of the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies, and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom.