TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan stands with the US and other like-minded partners to maintain regional peace and stability, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said during talks with a Heritage Foundation delegation on Tuesday.

During a meeting with Heritage Foundation President Edwin Feulner, Lai reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to defending freedom amid expanding authoritarianism, according to the Presidential Office. He said true peace can only be achieved through strength and vowed to continue defense reforms.

The president said Taiwan and the US are economic and trade partners and hoped to expand investments and procurement in key sectors such as high technology, energy, and agriculture. He also looked forward to collaborating with the US and other democratic partners to build a more resilient and diversified semiconductor supply chain.

Feulner said he was pleased to discuss the current geopolitical landscape and ways to strengthen Taiwan-US relations with Lai. He recognized the hundreds of Taiwanese businesses that work closely with American companies and communities, emphasizing that these partnerships strengthen the shared commitment to freedom between Taiwan and the US.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company announced on Monday that it would invest another US$100 billion (NT$3.29 trillion) to construct five more facilities in Arizona. TSMC CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said the investment package includes three chip fabs, two advanced packaging facilities, and an R&D center.