Escudo de silício: a produção de semicondutores como parte da estratégia de defesa de Taiwan

Abstract

This paper aims to understand how Taiwan’s primacy in semiconductor production contributes to deterring China in the context of threats of invasion of the island. The methodology is based on a qualitative historical-descriptive analysis, with theoretical references drawn from political economy studies and Global Value Chains (GVCs). To this end, the historical context of the conflict between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) – Taiwan – is analyzed, covering the Chinese Civil War, the Taiwan Strait Crises, and the ROC’s pursuit of independence. The analysis also includes data from TSMC and institutions such as the Semiconductor Industry Association to illustrate Taiwan’s leadership in the semiconductor market. The results show that, given the degree of interdependence between both actors within the nanochip GVC, the semiconductor industry tends to deter China from a potential aggression by concentrating the interest of major powers around maintaining the ROC’s political and economic stability, as well as by raising the economic costs of an invasion.