Foreign Minister Wu gives joint interview to Indo-Pacific press corps

2024/05/13

Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu gave a joint interview to a media delegation from countries in the Indo-Pacific region during which he reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to joining members of the free world to deter authoritarian expansion.
 
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the group was organized by Hawaii-based think tank East-West Center and comprised 14 journalists from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and India. The content has since been published by Yomiuri Shimbun of Japan; Maeil Business Paper, Yonhap News Agency and Munhwa Ilbo of South Korea; Newsroom of New Zealand; and the Indian Express.
 
Wu welcomed the statement on expanding security cooperation by leaders of the U.S., Japan and the Philippines in April, saying that the framework will help check Beijing’s aggression in the East and South China Seas.
 
The summit, as well as the one held by leaders of the U.S., Japan and South Korea last August at Camp David, shows that an increasing number of democracies are feeling the threat of China’s expansionism and working in unity to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific, he added.
 
Regarding the security of global semiconductor supply chain, the minister said the new plants by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in Japan, the U.S. and Germany are part of the local sector’s global expansion strategy, refuting claims that the moves will lead to a hollowing out of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.
 
The local semiconductor cluster was built over an extended period of time and covers know-how in design, production, testing and packaging, he said. While it is difficult for other countries to replicate such experience, Wu said Taiwan is willing to work with like-minded partners including Japan, the U.S., South Korea and India to help strengthen the global supply chain’s resilience in response to potential geopolitical impacts.
 
The minister also shared Taiwan’s experience in counteracting disinformation. Taiwan has long been under cognitive warfare attack by China, which aims to disrupt society with the spread of disinformation and skepticism about the U.S. He urged members of the free world to take precautions and preemptive measures.


Source:  Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)