Taiwan plays a critical role in “non-red” supply chains, because it is trusted by democratic countries and has technology important to the semiconductor industry, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Saturday.
In a post on Facebook, Lin shared takeaways from his speech at recent forum on global power and US leadership, innovative revolution and artificial intelligence (AI), and the financial market.
He said geopolitical changes, supply chain restructuring, and innovative technology driven by semiconductors and AI are all associated with US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Photo: CNA
Lin said he believes the Trump administration’s policies can be understood using “4Rs”: “reciprocity,” as Trump stresses reciprocal tariffs and “trade balance”; “reindustrialization” for his emphasis on bringing relocating manufacturing to the US to create job opportunities; “respect”; and “real estate” for his focus on strategic land interests.
Many of Trump’s policies show continuity from his first term in the White House, such as continuing the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, and reconfirming it in a summit with Japan, a meeting of the foreign ministers of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue members Australia, India, Japan and the US, and the US-Japan-South Korea ministers’ meeting last month, Lin said.
However, Trump is placing greater emphasis on the “shared responsibility of allies” and “peace through strength” in his second term, he said.
“Therefore, countries in the first island chain, including Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines must demonstrate their self-defense determination,” he said, adding that President William Lai (賴清德) has already announced that Taiwan would increase national defense spending to at least 3 percent of GDP and strengthen the nation’s whole-of-society defense resilience.
Trump is continuing the “desinicization” of global supply chains to protect national critical infrastructure, and using tariffs as a measure to pressure nations to build “non-red” supply chains, he said.
Many people in Taiwan are worried about Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) plan to significantly increase its investments in the US, but people should trust in the company’s plans, he said, adding that TSMC’s investment in other countries allows Taiwan to expand its economic horizons.
The US is also competing with China in technology to establish a lead in AI, Lin said.
“Taiwan is trusted by democratic countries and holds important technology for semiconductor production, thus playing a critical role in non-red supply chains,” he added.
Taiwan should understand the common interests it has with the US and seek to implement those that benefit both countries, Lin said.
Taiwan should also realize that it plays a critical role in the first island chain, “non-red supply chains” and the promotion of democracy, he said.
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
RSS