#1799 The US and China Are Fighting Over Taiwan, Semiconductors, and Africa's Minerals

Taiwan’s future is not being shaped by its people—but by a high-stakes geopolitical duel between the U.S. and China, where the island is treated as a pawn in a global power struggle rather than a sovereign democracy. Over 90% of Taiwan’s population identifies as Taiwanese, not Chinese, yet it remains politically invisible in international decision-making, caught between two nuclear-armed superpowers. The real strategic prize isn’t just territory—it’s control over the world’s most advanced semiconductors, with TSMC producing over 90% of the most critical chips that power global tech. Meanwhile, China dominates the critical minerals supply chain, controlling 99% of processed gallium and 95% of rare earths, while the U.S. graduates 10 times fewer mining engineers annually and lacks the refining infrastructure to process raw materials. This imbalance isn’t accidental—it’s the result of China’s state-led development model, which prioritizes long-term industrial planning, education, and infrastructure, creating a self-reinforcing advantage the U.S. can’t replicate without abandoning its myth of self-reliance and embracing interdependence. The U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity—arming Taiwan while refusing to recognize it—has backfired, leaving the island vulnerable and dependent on unpredictable foreign support.