Taiwan Frontlines: Taiwan in the Global Arena

Developing Taiwan’s Drone Ecosystem: A Conversation with Shield AI’s Brandon Tseng

Drones are at the center of the global defense conversation — and nowhere is that more strategically consequential than Taiwan. Lai Ching-te’s administration has made drone production a national priority, committing roughly $3 billion USD to building out a domestic ecosystem, with more investment expected. Taiwan understands that resilient, non-red supply chains and scalable autonomous systems are essential to deterrence. Today we’re joined by Brandon Tseng, Co-Founder and President of Shield AI, an American aerospace and defense technology company. Brandon previously served seven years in the U.S. Navy as both a Navy SEAL and a Surface Warfare Officer. He deployed twice to Afghanistan, as well as to the Pacific Theater and the Arabian Gulf. It was during those deployments that he saw firsthand the risks service members face in complex combat environments — experiences that ultimately led him to found Shield AI, with the mission of protecting service members and civilians through intelligent, autonomous systems. Shield AI recently signed a teaming agreement with Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), a Taiwanese aerospace company based in Taichung, marking an important step in deepening cooperation on trusted drone production and autonomous capabilities. In today’s episode we’ll explore what it takes to build secure drone supply chains, how Taiwan’s coast guard and navy fit into the evolving deterrence picture, and what the next era of autonomous warfare looks like in the Taiwan Strait. This episode was created in partnership with NOWNEWS, through its English-language platform Taiwan Current News (https://www.tcn.tw/) [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3N4T2dmTGxlS2xrNnNwVHFoYlVtUHdMWTd4QXxBQ3Jtc0tsWUc0NGpEdjE1akxQRXZ4anFtaVlEYkJTY1RraHk5eVZKWU5uSTliaGE5ZFNmZ2JDMHNRdXdMR3pZOC02a1lWTjRuN1Z1aWtNcVVKOElvM0hpdURRMHUyNkF0enVJLTIxdzZ5Q095WU5MUW02NEoyVQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tcn.tw%2F%29&v=KJ2w6NEqi0w]. Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [02:22] Taiwan in Defense Technology Supply Chains  [03:40] Overview of Shield AI’s Capabilities  [05:40] Taiwan’s Deterrence Strength Then and Now [07:09] Lessons Learned from Ukraine for Taiwan [11:07] Achieving Non-Red Supply Chains  [13:11] Developing Taiwan’s Drone Supply Chain [16:58] Evolving Counter Drone Capabilities in China and Taiwan [19:20] How Drones Address Grey-Zone Threats [22:21] Assessing Taiwan’s Military Operational System Readiness  [27:09] Challenges to Overcome for Taiwan [30:07] Insights into China’s Drone Industry [32:15] Drone Usage in a Blockade Scenario [35:21] Shield AI Delivery Capabilities

Jake Sullivan on Taiwan, China, and the Age of Strategic Rivalry

Today’s conversation is about power, risk, and decision-making in a world where technology, geopolitics, and security are colliding faster than our institutions were designed to hand. Questions surrounding China, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and national security are no longer abstract or academic. They shape real choices—often made under pressure, with imperfect information, and with long-term consequences. Our guest today has been at the center of those choices. Jake Sullivan served as the U.S. National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2025, coordinating foreign policy, defense strategy, and emerging technology issues. Prior to that, he was a senior policy advisor to President Obama, playing a central role formulating U.S. strategy toward China, and helping to shape Washington’s approach to alliances, economic statecraft, and technology competition. This episode was created in partnership with NOWNEWS, through its English-language platform Taiwan Current News (https://www.tcn.tw/).   Timestamps [00:00] Introduction [01:42] From Competition to Structural Rivalry [03:43] Potential Areas for US-China Cooperation [05:30] Lessons Learned from Diffusing Taiwan Issues   [10:41] Revisiting Strategic Ambiguity [16:56] Taiwan’s Defense Investments and US Political Support [21:50] The Role of Allies in Deterrence   [25:39] China’s Critical Mineral Chokepoints   [29:25] Evolving US Export Controls and Objectives [33:05] Assessing China’s AI Power and Strategic Risk [38:24] Xi Jinping’s Unification Legacy   [43:42] Consequences of Revising Taiwan Policy

How AI is Shaping Taiwan's Security, Society, and Strategy

AI has rapidly become a central arena of global competition, shaping everything from national security and economic power to information ecosystems and democratic resilience. The race for AI leadership now spans energy infrastructure, semiconductor supply chains, global talent, and strategic partnerships, as nations seek to build sustainable and trustworthy technological ecosystems. At the same time, AI is transforming the information domain—enabling unprecedented advances, but also amplifying disinformation, influence operations, and cognitive warfare. Our guest today is Ethan Tu, the founder of Taiwan AI Labs and a pioneering figure in Taiwan’s technology ecosystem, best known for founding PTT, Taiwan’s largest online bulletin board system. He has led groundbreaking AI research across academia, government, and industry, including work at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and as Microsoft’s Director of AI Research and Development in Asia-Pacific, where he helped shape Cortana. Today, Ethan focuses on building human-centric AI for healthcare, smart cities, and democratic resilience, while serving on keyboards and advisory bodies shaping Taiwan’s digital future. This episode was created in partnership with NOWNEWS, through its English-language platform Taiwan Current News (https://www.tcn.tw/).  Official transcript available on Simplecast (https://taiwan-frontlines-taiwan-in-the-global-arena.simplecast.com/episodes/how-ai-is-shaping-taiwans-security-society-and-strategy) Timestamps: [00:00] Intro [02:02] AI as a Societal and Institutional Power [04:42] Data Commons & Digital Autonomy [06:17] Tracking China’s Progress in AI  [07:57]  Synthetic Media Shifting Behavior in Taiwan [10:37] Risks AI Can Pose to Taiwan in a Crisis [14:48] Defensive AI Applications: Where to Invest for Deterrence  [16:42] Strategies for Regulation  [20:00] Utility of Export Controls on China [23:37] Cultivating Talent for the AI Work Force

Chip Wars Revisited: Geoeconomics, Security, Taiwan, and the Global Tech Battle

Semiconductors have become the most strategic resource of the 21st century. They power everything from smartphones and data centers to fighter jets and unofficial intelligence, and whoever controls this technology controls the future of military and economic power. The global chip industry now sits at the intersection of economic, security and ideology. It is shaping how the United States, China and allies like Taiwan and Japan compete for advantage. Our guest today is Dr. Chris Miller, a professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. He is also a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a thinktank in Washington, D.C. His most recent book is Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology. It was a New York Times Best Seller and a winner of the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award, the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2024 History Prize.  This episode was created in partnership with NOWNEWS, through its English-language platform Taiwan Current News (https://www.tcn.tw/). Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [01:45] Chip Control During Trump 1.0   [03:09] Is Technology Denial Achievable? [04:42] Implications for Mid-Tier Firms and Economy [07:18] European Investment Screening - Effective or Fragmented?  [08:57] Avoiding Chokepoints in Critical Minerals [11:41] Timeline for Reducing US Dependencies on Rare Earths  [14:28] Lutnick’s 50-50 Goal [17:14] Silicon Valley Model & USG Support [19:50] CHIPS Act – Global Impact & Unintended Consequences [22:47] Balancing Export Controls and Maintaining Tech Leadership [26:43] Revisiting the Silicon Shield [30:20] Updates to Chip War: AI & Advanced Packaging  [32:33] The US-China AI Tech Stack Competition

Trailer

Introducing Taiwan Frontlines: Taiwan in the Global Arena — a limited series GMF podcast hosted by Bonnie Glaser & Jason Hsu in partnership with NOWNews.