Taiwan and the US are preparing to establish working groups to advance initiatives in critical areas such as supply chain resilience and drone system certification, with the aim of building a secure and resilient supply chain, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office yesterday as he unveiled three key strategic directions for bilateral cooperation.
Taiwan would accelerate efforts to align with international high-standard regulations and deepen industrial ties with the US, Lai said, with the comments coming on the heels of the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue in Washington on Tuesday last week.
The three key strategic directions for Taiwan-US cooperation are “strengthening economic security, fostering an innovation economy and securing a prosperous future,” he said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
Industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors are placing increasing importance on security, trust and resilience, he said.
Taiwan and the US are working to build supply chains that are not reliant on China, he said, adding that both sides have signed the Silicon Century Declaration and the Taiwan-US Economic Security Cooperation Joint Statement to reinforce their shared commitment to economic security.
Moving forward, the two governments would set up working groups to develop a safer, more resilient supply chain, he said.
Taiwan and the US are highly complementary strategic partners and together they aim to build an innovation-driven economy, Lai said.
They would focus on practical areas such as supply chain security, drone system certification, and reducing tax and investment barriers to improve the partnership, he said, adding that the goal is to stay ahead in the global tech race and create a foundation for prosperity — the third strategic directive.
Taiwan-US collaboration is expanding beyond specific industries to become a comprehensive, cross-sector partnership, he said.
Taiwan and the US are indispensable to each other’s success, he said, adding that “complementarity of industries and reliability of regulations are crucial.”
“Taiwan will accelerate aligning its trade standards with international norms, creating a predictable and transparent legal environment,” he said. “This will deepen industrial ties with the US based on mutual trust and benefit.”
Asked about cooperation on rare earths, which Taiwan does not have significant reserves of, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) told the news conference that both sides agreed that the elements are vital to supply chain security, and they had pledged to improve cooperation in areas such as mining and refining of critical minerals, as well as technologies to recycle electronics.
The ministry is supporting the Industrial Technology Research Institute to develop indigenous rare earth technologies and experimental production lines, with plans to establish a pilot-scale production line within three years, Kung said.
The project is expected to meet about half of Taiwan’s domestic demand, and the US side has expressed interest in the initiative, he said.
Asked about supply chain security, Kung said that the two sides also discussed ensuring the security of AI supply chains.
Kung and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), who was also at the news conference, both said that Taiwan and the US would deepen technical certifications and international cooperation through working groups, adding that they aim to accelerate progress to create a model for other countries to follow in areas such as AI, drones and critical minerals.
Additional reporting by Chen Cheng-yu and CNA
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