Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chih-chung Wu called on the global community to stand with Taiwan to ensure global supply chain stability and international security integrity.
Wu made the remarks during an interview with Tim Mak, founder of Kyiv-based publication Counteroffensive, for an article published Feb. 15 on military technology in Taiwan.
Citing remarks by President Lai Ching-te, the Counteroffensive article said Taiwan aspires to become the Asian hub of drone supply chains for global democracies. Based on observations of the Russia-Ukraine war, Taiwan is developing affordable unmanned aerial vehicles, which are expected to play a key role in global confrontations.
The article also said that since the late 20th century, the free world has taken the view that welcoming China and Russia into the flow of international trade would have a democratizing effect. Wu said the war has proven that such thinking is naive.
The deputy minister said the appropriate strategic response should be to try to separate the so-called “red supply chain” and the democratic supply chain, adding that Taiwan’s prowess in electronics manufacturing and semiconductor technology make it a key player in this regard.
Through global supply chain restructuring, the country wants to ensure that local semiconductor technologies will not fall into the hands of Russia or other authoritarian regimes, Wu said, adding that an additional priority is the enhancement of Taiwan’s self-defense.
According to Counteroffensive, Taiwan is making progress in developing drones and asymmetrical tactics with its rich scientific knowledge. Wu called on the free world to include Taiwan in the global security network as a means to ensure regional and global peace and stability. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw