OSW Studies | The silicon shield. Taiwan amid the superpowers’ rivalry

7• ‘Questions•and•Answers•Concerning•the•Taiwan•Question•(2):What•is•the•one-China•principle?•What• is• the• basis• of• the• one-China• principle?’,• Mission• of• the• PRC• to• the• EU,• 15• August• 2022,• eu.china- mission.gov.cn. [...] 15 OSW STUDIES 11/2023 The•‘one•China•policy’•is•deliberately•ambiguous,•and•the•countries•that• follow• it• have• not• taken• sides• in• the• dispute• between• the• PRC• and• the• Republic• of• China,• leaving• it• to• them• to• ultimately• resolve• their• differ- ences.•However,•these•countries•oppose•any•unilateral•change•in•the•status• quo•by•either•of•them,•which•is•meant•to•deter•the•PRC•fro. [...] The framework for Taiwan-PRC contacts For•the•first•few•decades•after•fleeing•to•Taiwan,•the•government•of•the• Republic• of• China• did• not• maintain• any• communication• with• the• PRC.• After• the• US• recognised• the• latter• in• 1979,• President• of• the• Republic• of• China• Chiang• Ching-kuo• announced• the• so-called• policy• of• three• ‘no’s• (三不政策):•‘no’•to•contacts,•‘no’•to•negotiation. [...] The• Republic• of• China• is• also• one• of• the• United• States’• oldest• allies• in•Asia.• The• island• of• Taiwan• encloses• the• PLA• Navy• in• the• so-called• first• chain• of• islands;• it• also• lies• at• the• crossroads• of• key• trade• and• telecommunications• routes.•At•the•same•time,•Taiwan•is•uniquely•placed•as•the•largest•producer• of•semiconductors,•playing•a role•that•will•be•nearly. [...] 40• It•is•difficult•to•even•estimate•how•many•years•it•would•take•for•the•global•economy•to•recover•from• the• damage• caused• by• the• destruction• of• the• island’s• semiconductor• industry• and• the• severance• of• a  key• supply• chain• for• the• digital• economy.• The• Taiwanese• government• has• denied• having• any• plans•to•destroy•the•country’s•semiconductor•plants.•However,•this•would•see.