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Why is Nvidia Likely Bankrolling Unimicron’s Expansion in Taiwan?
AI’s capacity race is reshaping Taiwan’s industrial landscape. Unimicron’s record-breaking purchase of Bridgestone’s former Hukou plant was reportedly backed by a major U.S. customer—likely Nvidia—signaling how far AI giants are now willing to go to secure critical substrate capacity.
Samsung to Use TSMC’s 3nm Process for Nvidia’s Next-Generation HBM
October 19, 2026 -- Today’s top stories: Samsung to Use TSMC’s 3nm Process for Nvidia’s Next-Generation HBM, US-China Grand Bargain Remains Elusive Despite Trump-Xi Diplomacy, and Microsoft Withdraws from Major UK AI Data Center Project.
Meta and Apple Join Forces to Bring Open-Weight AI to Macs
October 16, 2026 -- Today’s top stories: Meta and Apple Join Forces to Bring Open-Weight AI to Macs, Ukraine Intercepts Nearly 88% of Russian Jet-Powered Drones, and AI and SpaceX Investments Propel Harvard Endowment to Record Heights.
Why a Taipei-Manila-Tokyo Triangle Is Becoming Asia's Most Consequential Minilateral
Closer ties among Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines are creating a new strategic triangle in Asia, linking maritime security, supply chains and economic cooperation as China expands its regional presence.
China Sanctions Paraguay, Belize Ministers Over Taiwan Ties
October 14, 2026 -- Today’s top stories: China Sanctions Paraguay, Belize Ministers Over Taiwan Ties, South Korea’s Kospi Plunges as AI Chip Stocks Face Heavy Sell-off, and ASEAN Digital Pact Targets $2 Trillion Economy Through Cross-Border Integration.
France’s New Man in Taipei: Europe’s Chip Sovereignty Runs Through Trusted Partners Like Taiwan
On this exclusive Taiwanology podcast interview, Frédéric Laplanche, France’s new top envoy in Taipei, argues that Europe’s push for semiconductor sovereignty means building an “ecosystem of trust” with partners like Taiwan. He returned this August for his fourth stint on the island since his student days in 1995. In conversation with CommonWealth, he explains why the dependence runs both ways.
Why is Taiwan Building a Drone Industry Without China
Taiwan’s drone exports are surging as Western governments seek alternatives to Chinese suppliers. But dependence on Chinese components, high production costs, and fragmented procurement threaten the island’s ambition to become a trusted manufacturing hub.
How Much Does Taiwan Spend on Defense—and Where Does that Money Go?
Taiwan has proposed a record US$35.3 billion defense budget for 2027. But understanding how much the island actually spends on its military requires separating annual appropriations, special budgets, pensions, and Coast Guard expenditures.
Global Smartphone Shipments Plunge 20% Amid Memory Shortage
October 13, 2026 -- Today’s top stories: Global Smartphone Shipments Plunge 20% Amid Memory Shortage, EU Backs Malaysia’s Semiconductor Ambitions Amid Supply Chain Diversification, and US Economists Win 2026 Nobel Prize for Macroeconomic Stabilization Research.
Recontextualizing 228: French Historian Says Taiwan’s Youth Paid for Japan’s War
Nearly 80 years after the 228 Incident, French historian Victor Louzon offers a new interpretation of Taiwan’s most painful postwar tragedy: the violence of 1947 was shaped not only by Nationalist misrule, but by the collision of two very different World War II memories—Taiwan’s experience under Japanese rule and the Chinese Nationalists’ war against Japan.
Taiwan's Next AI Winners: QIC Sees 500 Smaller Companies Worth US$2.66 Trillion by 2030
Fueled by US$6.5 trillion in projected AI capital spending and supply chain localization, Taiwan's emerging AI players could see their combined market value increase fivefold.
The Puma Shen Wave – Building a Brand in a 198-Day Taipei Mayoral Campaign
Puma Shen is trying to turn Taipei’s mayoral race into a 198-day branding campaign, softening his anti-China image and focusing on policy, social media and younger voters. As the gap with incumbent Chiang Wan-an narrows, turnout could decide not only the election, but also Chiang’s political future.