Making Middle-Power Alignment Work: Reinforcing Taiwan-Vietnam Collaboration in the Semiconductor Industry

Abstract

Through their joint initiatives, emerging middle powers are taking on a bigger role in the Indo-Pacific. But current scholarship on middle powers mainly focuses on countries with well-established reputations, such as Australia, Canada, South Korea, and Japan. Taiwan and Vietnam are two prime examples of emerging middle powers whose role and contributions have been under-examined. The authors contend that, against the backdrop of US-China technology competition, Taiwan and Vietnam should enhance collaboration in the semiconductor industry in an effort to forge closer ties and navigate geopolitical shoals and reefs, leading to the development of a more resilient semiconductor value chain. This paper discusses Taiwan’s crucial role as a potent player in the global semiconductor business in addition to presenting Vietnam’s aspirations to become Southeast Asia’s hub for semiconductor manufacture. By working on this understudied area, the authors wish to offer suggestions on how the two partners could bolster ties through workable plans to reinforce technology collaboration.