On November 30, 2020, Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers spoke at the Webinar “Cross-Strait Seminar: The Future of US-Taiwan Economic Relations,” a virtual event hosted by The Atlantic Council. 

In announcing the event, The Atlantic Council said:

Progress in US-Taiwan economic ties raises a number of key questions for the future of US strategy, cross-strait relations, and strategic competition with China. How do US and Taiwanese efforts to deepen bilateral economic relations fit into the broader expansion of US-Taiwan relations in recent years? What are the most important issues for the US and Taiwan to negotiate as they explore prospects for a possible trade agreement? What impacts do deeper US-Taiwan ties have on cross-strait relations, and how might China respond, economically or otherwise, to possible major developments such as the signing of a bilateral trade agreement? What could that mean for US and Taiwanese firms operating in China?

 

More broadly, what impact would deeper US-Taiwan economic cooperation have on geopolitical and geoeconomic dynamics across the Indo-Pacific, particularly as the US pursues additional arms sales to Taiwan? What role can US-Taiwan cooperation play in regional efforts with US allies like Japan and Australia to diversify global supply chains and decrease dependence on China in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic? What are the strategic implications of increasing US-Taiwan convergence on technologies involving vital national security interests, such as semiconductors and 5G?

The Council thanks The Atlantic Council for the invitation to participate in this event.