TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan and the US on Tuesday signed a joint statement endorsing the principles of the Pax Silica Declaration, a US-led initiative to secure supply chains for advanced technologies and critical minerals.

The statement was issued during the sixth round of the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue in Washington, per CNA. The US delegation was headed by Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, while Taiwan was represented by Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫).

The US State Department said the statement endorsed the principles of “mutual prosperity, technological progress, and supply chain resilience.” Discussions also focused on assessing steps taken to counter economic coercion and advancing collaboration in third countries.

Helberg told CNA the dialogue concentrates on steps to secure the full artificial intelligence technology stack, from critical minerals and semiconductors to digital infrastructure. He said the US and Taiwan advanced initiatives on supply chain security, drone system certification, and removing investment tax barriers.

Asked how the two sides could further deepen cooperation on AI and supply chain resilience in the context of economic security, Helberg said the two sides are moving beyond simple de-risking toward building trusted technology frameworks. He stressed that Taiwanese companies are indispensable partners.

As for progress on Taiwan becoming a signatory to the Pax Silica Declaration, Helberg said the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US signed a statement supporting the declaration’s principles. Helberg described it as a “major milestone,” but did not specify when Taiwan might formally join.

The US State Department lists nine signatories, including Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK. Taiwan is shown among the non-signatory participants, alongside Canada, the EU, the Netherlands, and the OECD.