cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/11446410
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The organizing concept on the Taiwanese side is the “non-red supply chain,” which under President Lai Ching-te serves both political and commercial purposes at home and abroad, giving Taiwanese companies a reason to invest in Europe and European governments a reason to welcome them. In Poland, this concept lands particularly well for historical reasons, and for Warsaw, the “non-red” connotation carries a meaning that does not necessarily resonate further west. The country still remembers the Battle of Warsaw in 1920 against the “red” Bolsheviks and their army, as well as being trapped for four decades inside the socialist Soviet bloc.
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The second driver is that Poland finds itself at a very ambitious moment. Growth has been fast enough for foreign press to call it an economic miracle … and Warsaw makes no secret of wanting a permanent seat at the G20. The constraints, however, are structural: Poland still largely assembles what others design, which is what Prime Minister Donald Tusk means when he says the country should no longer be “just an assembly hub.” This is where Taiwan could play a role. Its technology park planned for Miękinia in Lower Silesia is designed to be a “city of science,” a concept largely new to Poland that places manufacturing, R&D, and education all on the same site, while the Polish-Taiwanese R&D pact commits both sides to joint research from its first funding call in 2027. Taiwan gains industrial depth in Europe, whereas Poland gains joint ventures and R&D rather than merely subcontracting.
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The third driver is that both Poland and Taiwan are exploring their options beyond the US without turning away from it. Poland buys tanks from South Korea and drones from Taiwan while remaining one of the largest customers of the American defense industry in Europe. Foreign Minister Sikorski has been explicit that Poland will remain America’s loyal ally, but he has also insisted that, given America’s increasingly transactional posture, Warsaw must look after its own interests – a hedge, nonetheless, rather than a reorientation. Taiwan has likewise committed to strengthening cooperation with Washington, even though surveys conducted through 2025 showed a significant increase in the share of Taiwanese who consider the US unreliable.
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