Taipei aims to position itself as a key hub for drone manufacturing, decoupling from China, but faces challenges in scale, politics, and timing. The move reflects the administration's efforts to create a 'democratic supply chain' free from mainland Chinese components.

Taipei aims to leverage geopolitics by positioning itself as an Asia-Pacific drone hub built on a supply chain decoupled from mainland China, though challenges relating to scale, politics and timing threaten its ambitious industrial strategy. The push reflects a broader effort by the administration of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te to position the island as a node in what officials have described as a “democratic supply chain” free of mainland Chinese components amid rising geopolitical.....