On January 28 at the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C., Minister of Economic Affairs Ming-Hsin Kung delivered a keynote speech and participated in an interview titled Taiwan's Role in Global Supply Chains and the Future of US-Taiwan Ties, where he elaborated on Taiwan’s pivotal role in global supply chains.
During the well-received event, Minister Kung emphasized that Taiwan will be indispensable in two areas: the "explosive growth of AI" and the "creation of non-Red supply chains." He expressed his hope that Taiwan and the United States could work together to make even greater contributions to the world.
Following the event, Minister Kung also held a closed-door meeting to exchange views on deepening the Taiwan-U.S. economic and trade partnership. Major U.S. chambers of commerce, industry associations, technology companies, think tanks, and trade experts attended the meeting.
Minister Kung noted that over the past decade, major developments would include the U.S.-China trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Trump administration's tariff policies. Throughout these challenges, Taiwan has demonstrated immense resilience, gradually shifting from a reliance on the Chinese market to a global strategic layout.
Leveraging its strength in the global foundry and IC packaging/testing markets, Taiwan has formed a close technological synergy based on diverse competencies with U.S. IC design firms.
Minister Kung emphasized that the Taiwan-U.S. economic partnership has continued to grow during this process. From 2020 to 2024, Taiwanese investment in the U.S. grew at an average annual rate of 36%. Currently, Taiwanese manufacturers have established semiconductor and ICT industry clusters across several U.S. states, including California, Arizona, and Texas.
Looking ahead, under the trend of "non-Red supply chains," Taiwan and the U.S. will collaborate comprehensively in critical fields such as next-generation communications, low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), critical minerals, and biotechnology.