Read the policy paper at Taiwan Research Hub, University of Nottingham
As Donald Trump starts his second term as President of the United States, the accompanying uncertainty over his foreign policy has turned the global spotlight on Taiwan, branded as one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints and a global economic powerhouse in semiconductor manufacturing. As Washington continues to view its Asia-Pacific partners through the lens of its strategic competition with China and as Beijing continues advancing its own economic and geopolitical agenda, Taiwan is entering an era of global fragmentation and geopolitical tension that will last longer than the next four years of Trump’s presidency.
Against the background of US-China economic, geopolitical, and technological competition, Taiwan is facing highly contested economic and societal challenges. Taiwanese society is thus debating how to enhance the security, sustainability, and livelihoods of its people and how to allocate public finances to achieve those goals. How Taiwanese policymakers approach these challenges will affect not only Taiwan’s ability to respond to unpredictable foreign policy for the next four years but also its ability to remain resilient in the coming decades.
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Authors
Siwei Huang
Director of Engagement, Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation
Biography
Siwei Huang leads engagement initiatives with diverse stakeholders worldwide based on CAPRI’s interdisciplinary policy research. He also conducts interdisciplinary research on public policy and international affairs in the Asia-Pacific region. His research and commentary, published in English and Chinese, focus on energy policy, trade relationships, and supply chain management in East Asia; internationalization and health system policy in Taiwan; Taiwanese electoral politics, and the evolution of identity in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Previously, Siwei was a research assistant in the Department of Social Sciences, Education University of Hong Kong. Siwei received his master’s degree in global political economy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and his bachelor’s degree in applied economics with First Honors from Hong Kong Baptist University. A native of Hunan, Siwei moved to Taipei in 2021 to found CAPRI with a commitment to advancing good governance across the region.
Caroline Fried
Director of Research, Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation
Biography
Caroline Fried develops and leads CAPRI’s interdisciplinary, comparative research agenda. Her policy work spans the economics, politics, development, foreign policy, and political history of the Asia Pacific. She has published research and commentary on Taiwan’s electoral politics, Asia-Pacific health systems, cross-Taiwan Strait relations and economic linkages, educational exchange, US foreign policy toward Asia, and the internationalization of higher education in East Asia. Before joining CAPRI as one of its founding members, Caroline was a researcher and professional academic editor. As a Fulbright fellow in Taiwan, Caroline earned a master’s degree in Asia-Pacific studies at National Chengchi University. She holds bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and history from Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, where she graduated summa cum laude. Caroline hails from North Carolina, and she has called Taipei home since 2017, cultivating a deep personal and professional connection to the region.
