Taiwan‑Netherlands Semiconductor Dialogue Documentary Shown in The Hague, Strengthening Tech‑Democracy Ties

The critical position of Taiwan's semiconductor industry in the global supply chain has drawn intense international attention in recent years amid the evolution of geopolitics. A documentary deeply chronicling the development trajectory and key decision-making processes of Taiwan's semiconductor industry, titled "The Mountain Mover - A Century's Gamble," was screened on the 3rd local time in The Hague, the political and administrative center of the Netherlands. The event attracted more than 100 individuals from various sectors, including people concerned with international affairs, technological development, and Taiwan-Netherlands relations, as well as overseas compatriots, who gathered to watch the film. This event served not only as an exchange of visual culture, but also as an important platform for deepening technological dialogue and the connection of democratic values between Taiwan and Europe.

The screening event specially invited multiple experts and scholars to conduct in-depth panel discussions exploring the potential for cooperation between Taiwan and the Netherlands in the field of advanced technology. Tien Chung-kwang, Representative of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Netherlands, emphasized in his opening remarks that the brilliant achievements Taiwan has attained in the semiconductor industry today are by no means accidental, nor are they solely dependent on commercial investment. Rather, they are deeply rooted in the long-term establishment of democracy, freedom, and the protection of human rights in Taiwan. It is precisely this open and diverse social environment that continuously nurtures and attracts top-tier technological talent, providing a continuous momentum for industrial innovation. Tien also reiterated that Taiwan will continue to uphold the spirit of openness and mutual benefit, deepening cooperation in various fields with all like-minded countries including the Netherlands, to jointly promote the steady development of global technology.

From the perspective of the global industrial chain, the cooperation between Taiwan and the Netherlands in the semiconductor sector possesses irreplaceable complementarity and strategic significance. The Netherlands is home to ASML, the absolute global leader in semiconductor lithography technology, whose extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems are critical tools for manufacturing the most advanced chips. Meanwhile, Taiwan possesses the world's most complete semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, high-efficiency foundry clusters, and exceptional engineering talent. In recent years, as the Dutch government and the European Union have successively introduced policies such as the European Chips Act to enhance their own autonomy and security in critical technology fields, Taiwan's role as a reliable and indispensable democratic partner has become increasingly prominent. The documentary screening and expert panel held in The Hague provided an opportunity for face-to-face exchanges among bilateral industry, government, and academic circles, helping to further build consensus and expand future areas of cooperation.

Through the lens and historical archives, the documentary "The Mountain Mover - A Century's Gamble" meticulously traces the arduous process of Taiwan's semiconductor industry starting from scratch through hardships. The film depicts how government decision-makers, scientists, and entrepreneurs of that era made critical choices with visionary foresight during a time of scarce resources, ultimately successfully building for Taiwan the semiconductor industrial cluster known as the "protector mountain of the country." This history is not only a microcosm of Taiwan's economic development, but also an important chapter in the history of human technology. At the screening in The Hague, many local Dutch scholars and technology professionals expressed high admiration for how Taiwan built such a resilient industrial chain amidst a complex international environment, believing that Taiwan's experience holds extremely high reference value for European countries currently facing the challenges of supply chain restructuring.

As global attention toward semiconductor supply chain security and geopolitical risks continues to rise, interactions between Taiwan and European countries have elevated from mere economic and trade exchanges to the level of values-based diplomacy and strategic partnership. As an important European high-tech hub, the Netherlands' policy toward Taiwan and trends in technological cooperation often hold indicator significance. Through the successfully held documentary screening and in-depth panel discussion in The Hague, Dutch society has gained a more comprehensive understanding of the democratic foundation behind Taiwan's technological strength, laying a more solid civic and social foundation for substantive cooperation between Taiwan and the Netherlands in fields such as semiconductors, talent cultivation, and innovation research and development in the future.