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.
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