The US is working with Taiwan to restructure global supply chains under the shared values of transparency and accountability, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen said, according to a transcript released by AIT yesterday.
Christensen made the remarks on Tuesday at the International Investment Forum in Taipei hosted by the Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Council of Taiwan.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the risks of over-reliance on one country or supplier for critical materials, such as medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, and for industries that are of strategic importance to shared economies, Christensen said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Washington aims to diversify and bring supply chains closer to end users, and ensure that countries like China do not hold supply chains hostage for political purposes, he said.
The US works with like-minded partners, including Taiwan, Japan and the EU, to develop new supply chains based on shared values, he added.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) plans to boost investment in the US send “an unmistakable signal that the future of high-tech supply chains remains in the US-Taiwan nexus,” Christensen said.
Highlighting the importance of accountability, transparency, reciprocity, respect for the rule of law and human rights, he said: “We would call these American values. We would also call them Taiwan values.”
At another forum in Taipei yesterday, the AIT and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US issued a joint declaration on 5G security, echoing the Prague Proposals.
The Prague Proposals resulted from a 5G security conference hosted by the Czech Republic in May last year, and attended by officials and experts from more than 30 countries.
The US’ 5G Clean Path, announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in April, is an end-to-end communication that does not use any transmission, control, computing, or storage equipment from extremely problematic, untrusted IT vendors, such as Huawei Technologies Co (華為) and ZTE Corp (中興), Christensen said at yesterday’s forum.
The joint statement said that 5G suppliers should provide products and services that enable fair competition and downstream development by the maximum number of market participants.
It listed four criteria for evaluating 5G suppliers: Network hardware and software suppliers should not be subject, without independent judicial review, to control by a foreign government; suppliers should be financed openly and transparently; they should have transparent ownership, partnerships and corporate governance structures; and they should exemplify a commitment to innovation and respect for intellectual property rights.
Taiwan, on the front line of cyberdefense, has pre-emptively excluded hardware and software with cybersecurity risks, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said.
All of Taiwan’s 5G suppliers — Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), Taiwan Mobile Co (台灣大哥大), Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信), Asia Pacific Telecom Co (亞太電信) and Taiwan Star Telecom Co (台灣之星) — are listed in the US’ Clean Path, showing that Taiwan is a trustworthy partner, he said.
The joint declaration signals that Taiwan-US cooperation in protecting cybersecurity has become institutionalized, Wu said, adding that Taiwan would continue to work with the US and other like-minded countries to develop 5G network standards.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old