Taiwan used the SEMICON Taiwan trade show last week to present itself as a democratic and reliable supplier for the artificial-intelligence industry, while signaling that its semiconductor strengths could benefit like-minded partners. The island is home to TSMC, whose chips power AI applications, and has long used its technology sector to build international support despite diplomatic isolation and Beijing's opposition to treating Taiwan as anything other than one of its provinces. The United States, Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, is pressing Taiwanese companies to move more chip production to the country. TSMC is investing $265 billion in factories in Arizona, while Economy Minister Kung Ming-hsin said Taiwanese companies planned an additional $20 billion of U.S. investment. Taiwan reached a deal with Washington earlier this year to increase investment in exchange for reduced export tariffs, but uncertainty remains after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said semiconductor tariffs were coming for companies that do not make chips in the United States. Taiwan is also pursuing deeper relations with the European Union, which sent European Commission official Kilian Gross to promote Chips Act 2.0. The two sides share support for Ukraine in the war with Russia and face trade and diplomatic disputes with China.