As the home for the world's largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, Taiwan is a key equipment supplier for companies including Nvidia and Apple.
But its political status is a constant source of friction, given that China asserts the island should be part of its territory. For decades an uneasy stalemate has endured whereby Beijing does not give up its claims to Taiwan, or allow others to recognize the island nation diplomatically, but also does not act on its threats of trying to seize the territory.