Taipei: Taiwan has solidified its pivotal role in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, as declared by President Lai Ching-te during the opening of Computex Taipei. President Lai highlighted the presence of international tech giants at the event, which underscores their confidence in Taiwan's technological prowess, industrial efficiency, and democratic governance.
According to Focus Taiwan, Computex Taipei, running through Friday, is showcasing a record-breaking 6,000-plus booths from 1,500 exhibitors from 33 countries, including notable companies such as Nvidia Corp., Qualcomm Inc., and Intel Corp. The trade show has attracted over 60,000 registered visitors, reinforcing Taiwan's status as a hub for technological innovation.
President Lai emphasized the government's commitment to welcoming global investments by offering tax incentives, enhancing the investment climate, and promoting a chip-based innovation program to drive next-generation technological advances. He assured that Taiwan would uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which he described as a responsible commitment to the global supply chain.
Furthermore, President Lai noted that Taiwan's economy expanded by 14.55 percent in the first quarter, marking the highest quarterly growth rate in 48 years. This growth is fueled by robust technology exports, reflecting the world's confidence in Taiwan's economic performance. The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has revised its 2026 GDP growth forecast to 9.64 percent, projecting Taiwan to be among the world's top 20 economies by next year.
As optimism about Taiwan's economic future grows, the local stock market's capitalization rose to US$4.95 trillion in May, positioning it as the world's fifth-largest market. President Lai attributed this achievement to the concerted efforts of Taiwan's industries and workforce, highlighting the country's essential role in global AI development.
Addressing concerns about electricity shortages, President Lai assured that Taiwan's power supply would remain adequate through 2032, despite increasing demand from AI advancements. The government is promoting a second phase of energy transformation, initiated in 2024, to enhance natural gas-fired power generation, diversify renewable energy sources, and strengthen energy storage capacity and the national power grid.
These assurances were particularly pertinent following comments from Nvidia Founder and CEO Jensen Huang, who highlighted the need for additional electricity to support future AI developments in Taiwan. President Lai also stressed the government's commitment to providing sufficient water, land, and talent resources to meet the growing demands of AI infrastructure, computing capacity, and semiconductors.
President Lai concluded by reaffirming Taiwan's pursuit of technological innovation, economic resilience, and collaboration with international partners in AI development.