How Taiwan’s ‘silicon shield’ has kept it safe from China, indispensable to US

Trump, Xi and Taiwan sit at the centre of a global semiconductor race, with the island producing most of the world’s advanced chips The latest meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again put Taiwan at the centre of the world's most consequential geopolitical and technology rivalry.Xi pressed Trump during their Washington talks to adopt what Beijing calls the "correct position" of opposing Taiwan independence, according to a Chinese readout. Taiwan rejected the demand, saying Beijing had no right to determine the island's future. The exchange came as Washington continues to balance its longstanding support for Taiwan with its broader effort to manage relations with Beijing.The Taiwan question, however, is about more than territory, military power or competing political claims. It is also about one of the most important foundations of the modern global economy: semiconductors.Taiwan produces the overwhelming majority of the world's most advanced chips, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, at the centre of that ecosystem. These chips power smartphones, artificial intelligence systems, high-performance computers, data c...