Centres of power such as Beijing, Washington and Taipei have generated most of the headlines as the Taiwan challenge gets ever hotter. But, while these cities clearly have plenty of input into how events develop, it is a much less known centre of influence that may hold the key to the future of relations across the Taiwan Strait.
Hsinchu, on the north-west coast of Taiwan, may in fact be the most significant hot spot as this volatile contest cuts deeper into the international political landscape. Taiwan’s seventh largest city, Hsinchu is the headquarters of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. And however the United States and China might posture or rattle sabres with two of the world’s biggest militaries, it is this company in this unheralded corner of the island that may hold the key to how the narrative plays out.