TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) called for Taiwan to use its semiconductor and AI strengths to defend democracy and secure global technology supply chains.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Lin said Taiwan’s semiconductor industry had shifted away from heavy investment in China and toward closer cooperation with the US, Japan, and Europe. He said the industry now played an important role in economic security, access to critical technologies, and reliable supply chains.
The rapid growth of AI has made Taiwan even more important to the global technology industry, Lin said. He added that Taiwan would remain a major hub for trusted technology supply chains among democratic partners.
Lin said changes in tone under different US administrations did not affect Washington’s long-term strategic interests. However, Taiwan could not rely entirely on other countries for its security and must continue strengthening its own defenses, he said.
China’s military pressure and expansion threatened the wider Indo-Pacific region, not only Taiwan, Lin said. He called on countries in the region to strengthen cooperation through bilateral and small-group partnerships.
Lin also said Taiwan wanted closer ties with Europe in technology, industry, defense, and economic security. Taiwan would continue diversifying its supply chains and reducing its investment dependence on China, he said.
Taiwan also faced Chinese disinformation, cyberattacks, military threats, and the misuse of legal measures, Lin said. He said Beijing sought to weaken Taiwan’s democracy without starting a war, but Taiwan’s three peaceful transfers of power showed that its democratic system remained strong.
