Taiwan has been gaining global economic prominence with each passing month. The recent visit of Nvidia founder Jensen Huang to the island for the Computex tech conference in June sparked much excitement.
Huang’s trip provided an opportunity to meet with Morris Chang, the founder of TSMC, a crucial semiconductor company with which Nvidia collaborates. Without TSMC and the supportive Taiwanese economic ecosystem, Nvidia would not have reached its recent $3 trillion valuation. Taiwan plays a vital role for companies like Nvidia and Apple.
Despite Taiwan’s economic rise, geopolitical risks are escalating. China has increased pressure since Taiwan’s new president took office. China conducted a military exercise near Taiwan in May, causing concerns about potential military aggression.
China’s “grayzone” tactics, including sabotage of undersea cables, pose a significant threat to Taiwan’s connectivity with the world. Recent incidents of cable damage near Taiwan have highlighted this vulnerability.
Maintaining connectivity through undersea cables is crucial for Taiwan’s international business. Companies like Nvidia rely on these cables to transmit data for their operations.
Taiwan should consider enhancing its cable security measures to ensure continuous and reliable connectivity. Upgrading the status of cables to “critical infrastructure” and investing in repair ships are suggested solutions to address potential risks.
Securing undersea cables is essential for Taiwan to continue leading in technological development and maintaining its position as a key player in the global tech industry.