Stephen Young: Don't Just Look at Taiwan's Risks, Its Innovation, Democracy, and Culture Are Uniquely Precious
Former AIT Director Stephen Young emphasized that Taiwan is not just a 'silicon shield,' but its combination of innovation, democracy, and culture makes it unique and precious. He pointed out that Taiwan's success stems from these mutually reinforcing elements.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 16:06
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(Central News Agency, San Francisco, May 30, reporter Chang Hsin-yu) In recent years, Taiwan's visibility in American society has increased due to the semiconductor issue. Former AIT Director Stephen Young pointed out today in a speech at Stanford University that Taiwan is not just a 'silicon shield'; Taiwan's success stems from its innovative spirit, democratic resilience, and cultural vitality. This combination makes Taiwan unique and precious.
Young called on outsiders to break away from preconceived notions about Taiwan, stating that Taiwan should not be described as a 'problem to be solved'; although risks are real, viewing Taiwan solely from a risk perspective would overlook a more crucial story.
Young believes that Taiwan is a success story worth praising and cherishing; it combines innovation, democracy, and culture, reinforcing each other, and has been so in the past, and 'will continue to be so in the future.'
Young also pointed out that Taiwan is not merely replicating Silicon Valley's success model, but is trying to adapt Silicon Valley's operational logic to Taiwan's unique environment and conditions. This reflects an innovative mindset of policymakers at the time.
He also quoted New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, pointing out that Taiwan is fortunate because it does not have many natural resources, and therefore had to focus on honing its people's skills, which has proven to be the world's most valuable resource. 'The United States has also benefited greatly from their (Taiwanese talent) talents.'
Young said that the United States can build advanced semiconductor wafer fabs; but to make them operational, Taiwanese engineers are still needed.
Young served three times in Taiwan, stepping down as Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in 2021 and returning to the United States. In 2024, he began teaching at his alma mater, Brigham Young University, and today stated that he still devotes much effort to studying Taiwan.
Drawing on his experience of three assignments in Taiwan, he emphasized that one of Taiwan's greatest strengths is the 'adaptability' of its society, and democracy is the core element of this adaptability.
Young said that for many years, the United States often referred to Taiwan as a security partner or economic partner; now, the United States also recognizes that Taiwan is a strategically important democratic partner. In a region increasingly affected by authoritarian expansion, Taiwan is a vivid example, 'proving that a Chinese-speaking democracy can not only survive but also thrive.'
Speaking of culture, he pointed out that Taiwan's culture should be regarded as an important strategic asset. Young said that Taiwan's performance during COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus disease) embodied a culture of competence and a culture of generosity. He was also in Taiwan at that time.
He was invited today to speak at the 'Taiwan Project' research unit under the Shorenstein APARC at Stanford University. Other cross-disciplinary figures present included YouTube founder Steve Chen and Taiwanese director Zou Shiqing, presenting a more diverse picture of Taiwan beyond security issues.
Young emphasized that Taiwan has proven to the world that a relatively small society can exert influence far beyond its size on the global stage through its innovative capabilities, democratic resilience, and cultural confidence. (Editor: Hsieh Yi-hsuan) 1150501
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Young called on outsiders to break away from preconceived notions about Taiwan, stating that Taiwan should not be described as a 'problem to be solved'; although risks are real, viewing Taiwan solely from a risk perspective would overlook a more crucial story.
Young believes that Taiwan is a success story worth praising and cherishing; it combines innovation, democracy, and culture, reinforcing each other, and has been so in the past, and 'will continue to be so in the future.'
Young also pointed out that Taiwan is not merely replicating Silicon Valley's success model, but is trying to adapt Silicon Valley's operational logic to Taiwan's unique environment and conditions. This reflects an innovative mindset of policymakers at the time.
He also quoted New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, pointing out that Taiwan is fortunate because it does not have many natural resources, and therefore had to focus on honing its people's skills, which has proven to be the world's most valuable resource. 'The United States has also benefited greatly from their (Taiwanese talent) talents.'
Young said that the United States can build advanced semiconductor wafer fabs; but to make them operational, Taiwanese engineers are still needed.
Young served three times in Taiwan, stepping down as Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in 2021 and returning to the United States. In 2024, he began teaching at his alma mater, Brigham Young University, and today stated that he still devotes much effort to studying Taiwan.
Drawing on his experience of three assignments in Taiwan, he emphasized that one of Taiwan's greatest strengths is the 'adaptability' of its society, and democracy is the core element of this adaptability.
Young said that for many years, the United States often referred to Taiwan as a security partner or economic partner; now, the United States also recognizes that Taiwan is a strategically important democratic partner. In a region increasingly affected by authoritarian expansion, Taiwan is a vivid example, 'proving that a Chinese-speaking democracy can not only survive but also thrive.'
Speaking of culture, he pointed out that Taiwan's culture should be regarded as an important strategic asset. Young said that Taiwan's performance during COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus disease) embodied a culture of competence and a culture of generosity. He was also in Taiwan at that time.
He was invited today to speak at the 'Taiwan Project' research unit under the Shorenstein APARC at Stanford University. Other cross-disciplinary figures present included YouTube founder Steve Chen and Taiwanese director Zou Shiqing, presenting a more diverse picture of Taiwan beyond security issues.
Young emphasized that Taiwan has proven to the world that a relatively small society can exert influence far beyond its size on the global stage through its innovative capabilities, democratic resilience, and cultural confidence. (Editor: Hsieh Yi-hsuan) 1150501
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio-visual content of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.