Taiwan's China-Free Drone Industry: Successes and Continued Challenges

The Global Taiwan Institute is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion titled "Taiwan's China-Free Drone Production: Successes and Continued Challenges."

As the war in Ukraine has demonstrated, drones are increasingly becoming a critical component in modern warfare. However, China has developed a near-monopoly in certain sectors of global drone production. With Chinese drone components flooding the world market, it is nearly impossible for countries to avoid reliance on Chinese parts. This poses significant national security concerns for countries like the United States and its partners, with Taiwan being no small exception. Unlike most other countries, Taiwan has the ability to produce the technical and dual-use components necessary to mass-produce indigenous drones without Chinese components. However, this is not to say that Taiwan's domestic drone industry does not face its own challenges.

In this event, we will discuss Taiwan's successes and continued challenges in drone manufacturing; the kinds of policies Taiwan and the United States should explore to facilitate decoupling from China; and how supply chain integration between the United States and Taiwan can be mutually beneficial, as well as the progress that has been made on this front.

Joining our discussion will be three expert panelists who will share their perspectives. Matthew Fulco, a journalist for Aviation Week, will discuss Taiwan's successes and challenges in the field of indigenous drone production. Lotta Danielsson, Vice President of the US-Taiwan Business Council, will share her thoughts on the policy hurdles to building China-free drone supply chains. Dr. Hong-Lun Tiunn, the Deputy Director of the National Security Program at the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), will discuss the prospects for US-Taiwan co-production.