TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s semiconductor industry will be difficult to replace and replicate elsewhere, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) said Thursday (July 18).

The government department was reacting to comments by former United States President Donald Trump alleging that Taiwan had taken away his country’s chip business. His words caused concern that U.S. manufacturers might become more cautious about investing in Taiwan, Radio Taiwan International reported.

Taiwan has spent the past 30 to 40 years cultivating its semiconductor industry, so it would be impossible to just replace and hard to copy, said NSTC Vice Minister and Spokesperson Su Chen-kang (蘇振綱). The government will continue to strengthen the importance of the sector, he added.

Su emphasized that semiconductors were a crucial part of people’s lives, so maintaining the industry’s competitiveness was a key mission for the government. Computer chips were not just a local product, but also involved international cooperation with supply chains reaching into Japan, the European Union, and the U.S., Su added.