Abstract
As technological rivalry intensifies, twenty-first-century great power competition has expanded beyond traditional geopolitics into what can be described as space geopolitics. The U.S.–China technology confrontation, initially centered on semiconductors, is increasingly reshaping space technology, military capabilities, and orbital infrastructure. The so-called “chip war” has thus evolved into a broader strategic competition encompassing outer space. Advanced semiconductors form the technological backbone of satellites, missiles, communications, navigation, and command-and-control systems, making the interdependence between space capabilities and semiconductor supply chains a central pillar of contemporary national security.
The United States has sought to constrain China’s access to advanced chips and space-related technologies through export controls and manufacturing restrictions, while China has prioritized technological self-reliance by integrating semiconductor development with its space and defense sectors. Space-grade chips require exceptionally high standards of reliability, radiation resistance, and long-term performance in extreme environments, resulting in a highly concentrated and fragile global supply structure dominated by firms in the United States, Europe, and Japan.
At the global level, rapid growth in the space economy—driven by low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations, Earth observation, space defense, and deep-space missions—has increased demand for space-qualified chips, artificial intelligence processing, and edge-computing capabilities. States differ markedly in their civil–military integration strategies: the United States emphasizes private-sector innovation, China adopts a state-led model, while countries such as South Korea and India pursue selective integration.
Although Taiwan is not traditionally viewed as a space power, its central role in advanced semiconductor manufacturing positions it as a critical node in future space supply chains. Nevertheless, challenges remain in radiation-hardened design, testing and certification, civil–military coordination, and reliance on foreign tools. In an era of technological decoupling and supply-chain restructuring, semiconductors have become strategic assets of technological sovereignty, while outer space has emerged as a new arena for geopolitical competition and institutional influence.