Lai vows to enhance Taiwan-US economic partnership at AmCham Taiwan’s...

2025/03/24

President Lai Ching-te said March 20 that Taiwan is committed to enhancing its mutually beneficial economic and trade partnership with the U.S. while jointly building non-red supply chains to advance peace, prosperity and stability.
 
Lai made the remarks during the annual Hsieh Nien Fan banquet hosted in Taipei City by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan to thank Taiwan government officials for supporting the international business community.
 
The president first cited the 2025 Business Climate Survey published by AmCham in January as evidence of Taiwan’s ideal investment environment. The survey showed that 90 percent of business respondents are planning to maintain or expand their investment in the country.
 
The U.S. is a major source of investment, accounting for 11.5 percent of Taiwan’s total foreign investment last year, Lai said, adding that high-tech heavyweights such as Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. and Nvidia Corp. have also been expanding their presence in the country.
 
The president went on to say that Taiwan’s direct and indirect investment in the U.S. accounted for over 40 percent of its total outbound investment last year, making the U.S. the largest investment destination. He added that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s recent announcement of increased investment in the U.S. will be followed by many other industries.
 
Taiwan is an indispensable partner to the U.S. as the latter moves to become a global artificial intelligence hub, Lai said. The country will continue to promote the five trusted industry sectors to drive economic development while coordinating relevant government agencies and aligning with international standards to foster a friendlier investment environment, he added.
 
The government will further deepen Taiwan-U.S. trade relations, Lai said, adding that it is going to expand imports of agricultural and industrial products and natural gas from the U.S. The president further urged AmCham to support negotiations to resolve double taxation issues and remove tax barriers to bilateral investment and trade.
 
Lai concluded by saying that maintaining regional and global security and stability is essential to economic prosperity. He took the opportunity to thank U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for releasing a joint leaders’ statement backing cross-strait peace and stability, adding that Taiwan will continue to uphold the values of freedom and democracy by enhancing its self-defense capabilities and cooperating with the U.S. in the defense sector. 


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