Taiwan puts AI at SA's - and the world's-feet

Taiwan may have endured a long period of political isolation due to the one-China policy, but the island is making its existence felt as a giant of digital technology worldwide.

- Eric Naki

The country is willing to share its technological know-how, ininnovations frastructure and with the rest of the world, including South Africa, Oliver Liao, representative of the Taipei liaison office in Pretoria, said.

Taiwan, which placed economic diplomacy as one of its foreign policy pillars, believed SA's 2030 National Development Plan provides fertile opportunity for technological cooperation, he said.

Liao noted the SA government's desire to catch up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution to achieve industrial upgrading, with AI technology playing a critical role in this transformation.

"Without Taiwan's provision of AI chips, such industrial advancements would be difficult to realise," he said.

"Taiwan is willing to cooperate with South Africa, empowering local talents needed for the industrial and information sectors, and promoting bilateral investment and economic and trade exchanges to help SA meet its industrial upgrade goals by 2030."

As a leading exporter of semiconductors, Taiwan supplies 95% of the world's needs, with developed economies forming the bulk of its market.