Strait Forward

Political rhetoric often relies on simple villains, and few narratives are as convenient — or as fundamentally flawed — as the claim that Taiwan "stole" America's semiconductor industry. In this second episode of Strait Forward's three-part miniseries, host Channing Lee continues debunking this myth by examining the institution at the heart of Taiwan's chip story: the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). 

Channing sits down with Stephen Su, Senior Vice President at ITRI, to trace how a single 1974 breakfast meeting between Taiwanese officials led to a pivotal technology licensing agreement with RCA — bringing 36 researchers to the US for a year of training that would seed Taiwan's entire semiconductor foundry industry. Su walks through how ITRI incubated both UMC and TSMC as spinoff companies, and explains why he attributes only a small fraction of Taiwan's success to luck — the rest coming from decades of sustained hard work once that initial opportunity was in place. 

The conversation also explores TSMC's deeply global supplier ecosystem, ITRI's ongoing research partnerships with US universities like Stanford, Berkeley, CMU, and MIT, and Su's framework for understanding Taiwan's evolving role — from "Made in Taiwan," to "Made by Taiwan" overseas, to what he argues must become "Made with Taiwan": a model of deep international partnership essential not just for semiconductors, but for the future of AI and quantum computing. 

 

Strait Forward is a podcast by the Special Competitive Studies Project.

Political rhetoric often relies on simple villains, and few narratives are as convenient — or as fundamentally flawed — as the claim that Taiwan "stole" America’s semiconductor industry. In a new three-part miniseries of Strait Forward, host Channing Lee seeks to debunk this myth by examining how and why Taiwan built its chip industry, and how Taiwan’s emergence as a manufacturing powerhouse enabled America to unleash its innovation power.

This first episode featuring Dr. Roy Lee, formerly Taiwan's Representative to the EU and Belgium and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, explores the geopolitical and economic conditions that created the urgency — and opportunity — for Taiwan to become the world’s chip hub. Contrary to the narrative of theft, Taiwan’s semiconductor success resulted from a deliberate, 45-year strategic partnership built on mutual survival, risk-taking, and shared security imperatives between Washington and Taipei.

Strait Forward is a podcast by the Special Competitive Studies Project.

China's military is testing Taiwan in new ways — fewer dramatic air incursions, and far more Coast Guard ships crowding Taiwan's waters in a slow, deliberate squeeze. In this episode, host Channing Lee sits down in the Strait Forward studio with Dr. I-Chung Lai, President of the Prospect Foundation, to assess how Taiwan reads the readiness of the People's Liberation Army to conduct an operation around the island. They dig into whether Beijing has the capability for a full-scale invasion, why a blockade or quarantine may be the more realistic threat, what China might be learning from conflict in the Middle East, and how gray-zone tactics are reshaping the fight across the strait. Lai closes on a hopeful note: a Taiwan growing more economically confident and more sure of its own ability to defend itself.

Strait Forward is a podcast by the Special Competitive Studies Project.

It's Taiwan's most famous export in a cup, but behind every chewy tapioca pearl is a global business story of culture, competition, and surprising technology. In this episode, host Channing Lee talks about all things boba with Greg Chen, CEO of International Business and Chief Investment Officer for the group behind Sharetea and Unique Green (UG) Tea, two of Taiwan's biggest bubble tea brands. They cover where boba came from, how the drink became a worldwide phenomenon and a symbol of Taiwanese culture, why Chinese chains flooding the market pose a growing competitive threat, and how AI-powered machines are helping stores leap from 100 cups a day to thousands. Producer Bobby Owens also tries boba for the very first time.

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Strait Forward is a podcast by the Special Competitive Studies Project.

As the United States and Taiwan deepen their semiconductor partnership, can they build a talent pipeline resilient enough to sustain it? Recorded live in Orlando at the 2026 U.S.-Taiwan Semiconductor Higher Education Networking Event, on the sidelines of the NAFSA: Association of International Educators 2026 Annual Conference, host Channing Lee sits down with three university leaders shaping that future: Dr. Lin Chi-Hung, President of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan; Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President of San Jose State University in the heart of Silicon Valley; and Dr. Reza Abdolvand, Professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida. Fresh off the signing of a new memorandum of understanding, they dig past the buzzwords into what an education partnership really requires, from micro-credentials to cross-border student exchanges, why education may be the ultimate win-win in U.S.-Taiwan relations, and how each side defines success.

Strait Forward is a podcast by the Special Competitive Studies Project.