The TRI's strategic and international research division was especially established to complement its economic research division at the suggestion of Lee Teng-hui, who considered that, in mainland policy, strategic issues are inextricably linked to economic ones.
台綜院的「戰略與國際」研究所，也是因李登輝認為對大陸政策中，戰略議題與經濟議題息息相關，而建議台綜院在經濟研究所外特別成立。