Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential nominee Hou You-yi (侯友宜) told a Silicon Valley event on Wednesday that Taiwan would emulate the US’ “friend-shoring” policy to reduce its reliance on a China-based production.
At a forum in Foster City, California, Hou described getting Taiwan-headquartered businesses to move their production away to friendlier nations as a “matter of national security.”
The New Taipei City mayor used the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s facilities in Europe, Japan and the US as one example of what he called “friend-shoring,” the practice of shifting supply chains to democratic nations.
Photo: CNA
Hou said that such diversification had allowed Taiwanese firms to reduce their “over-reliance” on China.
Hou, who was visiting the Silicon Valley area at the end of an eight-day tour of the US, said that during a previous stop in Washington, US politicians and think tank experts had expressed concerns over national security and Taiwan-China issues.
However, Hou said that they had been equally interested in Taiwan’s world-renowned high-tech semiconductor industry, and how the sector would respond to changing global conditions.
The KMT presidential nominee said that he would work closely with Silicon Valley to promote Taiwan’s high-tech industry if elected.
Wednesday’s forum was also attended by California State Assembly member Evan Low (羅達倫), who told the Central News Agency it was important for his state and Taiwan to strengthen ties on issues of democracy, semiconductors, marriage equality and education.
Following the forum, Hou, who made earlier stops in New York and New Jersey, visited San Francisco’s Chinatown to pay his respects at a monument in St Mary’s Park to Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙), before attending a dinner party to meet with about 500 US-based supporters.
Hou’s US trip, from which he is scheduled to return at 5:25am today Taipei time, has been described by his campaign office as a “journey of dialogue and deepening friendship.”
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