TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan can be a key player in global defense technology cooperation and industrial supply chains among democratic partners, the Taiwan Defense Industry Development Association and the Taiwan Aerospace Industry Association said in a joint statement issued on Sunday.

As geopolitical dynamics have shifted rapidly in recent years, democratic countries are strengthening defense self-reliance and industrial resilience while accelerating the restructuring of key technologies and secure supply chains, the statement said, per CNA. Given Taiwan’s strategic position in the Indo-Pacific, building a robust and resilient defense industry system is essential for national security and an opportunity to upgrade high-tech industries, deepen international cooperation, and enhance national competitiveness.

The defense industry has strong spillover effects, driving development in precision manufacturing, semiconductors, materials engineering, and systems integration. Global trends are moving toward “trusted supply chains” and “non-red supply chains,” according to the statement.

The associations urged all political parties to prioritize the country’s overall interests and long-term development and called for continued drone development and related defense technologies to build a resilient and globally competitive defense industry.