Keith J. Krach on the U.S.-Taiwan’s Trusted Tech Alliance
By Shuren Koo
Q: Why is tech diplomacy important today?
A: Tech diplomacy is an essential part of U.S. economic diplomacy today because it integrates strategies from Silicon Valley, technology expertise, and foreign policy tools based on what we call the “trust doctrine.” This doctrine, which we introduced in Taiwan and then applied globally, is fundamentally about promoting “trusted technology” — technology that adheres to principles like integrity, accountability, transparency, reciprocity, and respect for the rule of law, sovereignty, property rights, human rights, and the environment. These values are the foundation of the free world, but authoritarian regimes often exploit them, using what we refer to as the “domination doctrine.” They rely on tactics like intimidation, retaliation, and coercion, which contrast sharply with our trust-based approach. Tech diplomacy is about bringing like-minded nations together, using these shared principles to build alliances that protect these values against authoritarian influences.
Q: What was the purpose of the Clean Network Alliance of Democracies?
A: The Clean Network Alliance of Democracies was established in 2020 with a key objective: to counter Communist China’s plan to control 5G infrastructure globally. When I came to Taiwan in September 2020, one of our missions was to integrate Taiwan into this alliance. Within a year, we built an alliance of 60 countries, 200 telcos, and numerous industry leaders to prevent China’s strategy from taking hold around the world. By forming this alliance, we exposed China’s core vulnerability: a pervasive trust deficit. The Clean Network initiative ultimately demonstrated that technology networks could be built around a foundation of trust, aligning democratic countries and companies in a unified effort to uphold these values.
Q: How does the Krach Institute continue this mission?
A: At the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy, we continue to champion the principles of trusted technology. We’re not only training the U.S. State Department on these principles but are also in talks with Taiwan’s foreign ministry and other global ministries. Our mission is to assess and promote the trustworthiness of various technologies, extending the principles of the Clean Network to areas like Clean Cloud and Clean Cable. The goal is to create a comprehensive framework that can be used by any democratic government or private entity to measure and endorse trusted technology.
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