TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) highlighted Taiwan’s commitment to defense in a Foreign Policy interview published Wednesday.

Chen said Taiwan must demonstrate its determination to defend itself. Though the proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.75 billion) special defense budget is stalled in the Legislative Yuan, the government will continue to seek consensus through communication and negotiations.

Passing the budget is “a very strong and important gesture to show that we care about our defense,” Chen said.

The deputy minister said: “We are in a new era — there’s no more free ride, no more free security guarantee. If we do not invest, then probably people will just leave us there, dying alone.”

However, he stressed that while Taiwan is deepening partnerships with nations like Japan and the Philippines, “We are not talking about hedging against the US.”

“We always like to make friends,” he added.

Chen also said, “So many countries, unfortunately, decided that they want to get closer to China as a counterbalance to the US. For us, it’s never been an option.”

In response to the Trump administration’s new National Defense Strategy that attempts to de-escalate tensions with China, Chen said Taiwan places greater emphasis on US actions.

“I think deeds are more important than words,” he said, adding that President Trump approved an arms sale to Taiwan worth more than US$11 billion in December and signed trade agreements. Taiwan’s trust in the bilateral relationship remains unchanged, he said.

The deputy foreign minister said semiconductors are only an “additional layer” of assurance that draws global attention to stability in the Taiwan Strait, rather than the sole line of defense.

“Taiwan has been important before semiconductors … because of geography, because of values, because of democracy. Our democracy is a hard-earned one,” he said.