Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) argued that Taiwan had achieved an economic transformation driven by AI development and successful industrial restructuring during a lecture at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. on December 28.
The minister projected Taiwan's per capita GDP will exceed $34,000 USD this year, officially surpassing Japan and South Korea. He also noted that the Taiwan Stock Exchange crossed the 23,000-point threshold in 2025, with a total market capitalization of eighth globally, ahead of Germany and South Korea.
According to Kung's analysis, Taiwan's semiconductor industry surged from over $80 billion USD in output in 2016 to over $200 billion last year, predicting that it will soon reach over $250 or $300 billion due to the influence of AI.
Citing IDC data, Kung noted that generative AI will drive global output growth exceeding 30% compound annual growth rate in the coming years, creating $1.2 trillion USD in business opportunities by 2029, with Taiwan serving as an indispensable hardware arsenal in this wave. （Related： Opinion | When 'Freedom Isn't Free' Becomes a Slogan, Democracy Pays the Real Price ｜ Latest ）
Kung emphasized that while Taiwan plays a crucial role in foundry services and server manufacturing, U.S. companies remain the true leaders of the entire AI ecosystem. He cited NVIDIA's remarkable revenue growth and American companies' absolute advantages in IC design, equipment, and materials as the industry's driving force.
