China’s defence semiconductor industrial base in an age of globalisation: Cross-strait dynamics and regional security implications

Abstract

ABSTRACT The globalisation of semiconductor production has helped China improve its defence microelectronics capability. By analysing primary and secondary data, this paper examines semiconductor globalisation across the Taiwan Strait and shows the flow of resources from Taiwan to its Chinese counterparts linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This flow of resources has improved the PLA’s capabilities, including for Trojan Horse attacks, and affected security dynamics in the Sino-US-Taiwan relationship. This paper sheds fresh light on an understudied aspect of PLA modernisation and contributes to the study of the globalisation-security nexus and pertinent policy debates.