Between a Chip and a Hard Place: The Economics of Security and Sovereignty in Taiwan

13/05/2025 28 min
Between a Chip and a Hard Place: The Economics of Security and Sovereignty in Taiwan

Listen "Between a Chip and a Hard Place: The Economics of Security and Sovereignty in Taiwan"

Episode Synopsis

What does Taiwan’s precarious position reveal about global power, economic leverage, and the unraveling of diplomatic norms? In this episode, economist Chang-Tai Hsieh returns to unpack Taiwan’s tangled political history, its deep economic entanglement with China, and the global stakes of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). From fears of abandonment to the high-stakes semiconductor supply chain, Hsieh explores how Taiwan balances sovereignty, security, and survival in an increasingly transactional world.

More episodes of the podcast The Pie: An Economics Podcast