The 2nd KDI-CIER Expert Seminar Held in Taipei, Taiwan

On May 22nd, KDI hosted the 2nd expert seminar with the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) in Taipei, Taiwan. This year's seminar theme was "Geopolitical Issues, Supply Chains, and Regulatory Management," providing a significant platform for experts from Korea and Taiwan to present their research findings and exchange ideas.

 

This seminar holds substantial importance as it marks the second consecutive year of its occurrence following the MOU signed last year to strengthen exchange and cooperation between the two institutions. The inaugural seminar 2023, under the theme "Net Zero Transition," offered a meaningful discussion on emissions trading systems, carbon taxes, RE100, and other industrial and institutional differences and policies between Korea and Taiwan.

This year’s seminar focused on geopolitical issues, supply chains, and regulatory systems amidst rapidly changing industrial landscapes, particularly in the semiconductor industry, against the backdrop of the US-China trade conflict and rising nationalism.

The first session, "Geopolitical Issues," involved presentations and discussions on the geopolitical impacts of China and supply chain restructuring. Topics such as the accelerating decline of globalization, the US-China confrontation, the fragmentation of the global economy, natural resource conflicts, and China's economic slowdown were discussed. An in-depth analysis was conducted on various risks and geopolitical impacts, including the restriction of semiconductor equipment exports to China and China's export restrictions on gallium and germanium, amidst the spread of protectionism among major countries.

 

In the second session, "Global Supply Chain Issues," presenters reviewed the current status of supply chains in Korea and Taiwan, focusing on areas needing improvement or supplementation. It was pointed out that Korea's core industries are highly affected by overseas supply shocks, have a high dependence on intermediate goods imported from China, and lack competitiveness in carbon neutrality activities. The insufficiency of private and public digital supply chain infrastructure was also discussed. Recognizing that Taiwan faces similar situations, both countries exchanged views on the challenges and policy measures they are focusing on to address supply chain issues.

The final session, "Regulatory Issues," introduced the background of the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA), current methodologies, procedures, and implementing institutions, and shared additional efforts and institutional measures for advancing regulatory reform. It was emphasized that RIA in Taiwan is not as developed as in Korea, and discussions highlighted the reasons and the need for improvement.

 

This seminar served as a significant opportunity to enhance economic development and mutual understanding between Korea and Taiwan through close cooperation between KDI and CIER. We hope that such activities will continue in the future.

Written by Sujin Kim, Head of Research Outcome Dissemination Unit  044-550-4015, sujin@kdi.re.kr