Taipei: President Lai Ching-te and the European Union’s representative, Lutz Gllner, pledged Thursday to deepen cooperation on semiconductor supply chains and security amid growing global challenges. Speaking at a gala hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT), Lai emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to fostering robust economic ties with European partners and the joint effort to build resilient, promising, and non-red supply chains for semiconductors.
According to Focus Taiwan, President Lai highlighted the threats posed by authoritarian regimes seeking to dominate global semiconductor and critical technology markets through non-market practices, resource monopolies, and price subsidies. Besides expanding economic ties, Lai stressed Taiwan’s eagerness to collaborate with democratic partners to safeguard freedom, democracy, and regional peace while strengthening its own defense capabilities and resilience.
Lutz Gllner, who heads the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan (EETO), echoed the importance of closer cooperation between Taiwan and the EU in “building stronger, resilient, innovation-driven, and secure supply chains.” Gllner noted that bilateral cooperation should extend beyond economic matters, highlighting the growing alignment between the EU’s security priorities and Taiwan’s. He emphasized the opportunity for both to jointly address hybrid threats and strengthen civil defense.
“We should work together also in those areas to counter cyberattacks, disinformation or foreign information manipulation, economic coercion; and we need to protect our critical infrastructure,” the EU envoy stated. Gllner also mentioned that this cooperation is not limited to administrative levels; it requires active involvement from the private sector and businesses.
The gala, attended by hundreds of guests including senior Taiwanese government officials and heads of foreign representative offices in Taipei, underscored the importance of this strategic partnership. The ECCT, representing the interests of some 450 European companies operating in Taiwan, organized the event, marking a significant step in reinforcing the Taiwan-EU collaboration.