The deputy minister made the remarks during an interview with Jochen Stahnke in Taipei City for an online article published Oct. 7 by Germany-based media outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
According to Wu, with a robust economy of US$800 billion, Taiwan is the U.S’ seventh largest trading partner, with the bilateral relationship built on their shared democratic values and deep-rooted social connections.
The deputy minister said Taiwan has continued to reduce its economic dependence on China since 2010, with investment to China down to just 7 percent of the total last year. The U.S. now accounts for half of Taiwan’s outgoing investment, underscoring the robust bilateral economic and technological cooperation, he added.
Wu said the Russian invasion of Ukraine is an attempt by a dictatorship to change international order by force. Taiwan’s key role in the semiconductor sector means that the country’s security is critical to global stability, he said, and added that China will become the strongest superpower if Beijing takes over Taiwan’s technological capabilities.
The deputy minister stressed the “not today” policy and government measures to strengthen Taiwan’s deterrence capability by increasing the national defense budget to 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2030; supporting a military presence in the Indo-Pacific by Europe, the U.S. and other democratic partners; and canvassing global support for Taiwan’s international participation.
Describing the local semiconductor sector as the sacred mountain that protects Taiwan, Wu said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. factories in the U.S., Japan and Germany will not weaken Taiwan but are an extension of the sector’s protection net.
The European Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. set up by TSMC in Dresden represents a major breakthrough in Taiwan-European relations, Wu said, adding that the government will continue to maintain high-tech leadership and deepen cooperation with its partners to ensure stable and sustainable development of the global supply chain. (SFC-E)
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