OPINION: From the national security bench in Taipei , I have seen firsthand that modern espionage often begins with weaponized ambition inside firms and research centers. The artificial intelligence contest will hinge less on who builds faster chips than on which legal systems can adapt and coordinate the fastest. High-level summits between politicians may set the diplomatic tone, but the real contest will now play out in export controls, investment reviews and evidentiary rules. In 2025, three