The Executive Yuan’s economic diplomacy task force has approved programs aimed at bolstering the nation’s chip diplomacy with Japan and European nations.
The task force in its first meeting had its operational mechanism and organizational structure confirmed, with Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) the convener, and Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) and Minister Without Portfolio Ma Yung-cheng (馬永成) the deputy conveners.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) would be the convener of the task force’s strategy group in charge of policy planning for economic diplomacy.
Photo: Bloomberg
The meeting was attended by the heads of the National Development Council, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Science and Technology Council.
A source, who asked to remain anonymous, yesterday cited Cho as saying at the meeting that the economics ministry should give the foreign ministry data and documents about Taiwan-Japan collaborations on semiconductors, which would be managed as projects to deepen bilateral political and economic ties.
Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) last week at a news conference said that Taiwan is cooperating with Japan’s semiconductor supply chain.
In the first or second quarter this year, state-supported service companies would be set up in Fukuoka Prefecture, while agreements would be signed to protect Taiwanese firms building plants in an industrial park in Kumamoto Prefecture, he said.
The source also cited Cho as saying that the task force would take over the Central and Eastern Europe Resilience Program 2.0, with the foreign ministry assisting the economic ministry to propose projects.
In Germany, the semiconductor sector would be developed around Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (台積電) plant, and extend to Poland and the Czech Republic to form a triangular industrial cluster, they said.
In the Philippines, the government is planning to aid the local semiconductor sector by investing in infrastructure and power grid construction in Luzon as the developable land area is large, the source said.
Taiwan and Thailand’s collaboration on a Smart City Program was also mentioned in the meeting, they said.
Taiwan has made significant breakthroughs in its relationship with Thailand, such as a new agreement on investment promotion and protection signed in June last year, and Thailand’s approval of indefinite visa-free entry for Taiwanese travelers, the source said.
The task force plans to combine Taiwan’s economic and industrial competitive edges to deepen the nation’s ties with like-minded nations and those that share the same strategic benefits, with the goal of enhancing Taiwan’s participation in the Indo-Pacific region and international community, and achieving President William Lai’s (賴清德) policy of value diplomacy and his vision of Taiwan being one of the world’s economic strongholds, they said.
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