Taipei: The government will work to ensure that Taiwan’s investments in the United States, especially in the semiconductor industry, serve the interests of both sides, a Taiwanese national security official said Friday. Speaking anonymously, the official stated that the government would not force Taiwanese companies to invest in any specific location but was merely planning to engage with those looking to expand overseas to understand their needs better.

According to Focus Taiwan, the government’s role is to assist those companies in addressing challenges they may face and ensure that discussions with the U.S. “serve the core interests” of both sides. The official emphasized that while the government will not restrict tech exports, it remains uncertain whether the U.S. has sufficient workforce and expertise to support the supply chain of semiconductor manufacturing.

The official highlighted that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) was building very advanced chips in the U.S., referring to its estimated US$65 billion investment to construct three semiconductor fabs in Arizona. The comments followed a high-level national security meeting convened by President Lai Ching-te after U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed pledge to impose tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors to encourage reshoring of chip manufacturing in the U.S.

Trump on Thursday signed a presidential memorandum ordering “a fair and reciprocal plan” on trade, which could take effect as early as April, to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. The official mentioned that the government continued to prepare for various scenarios.

The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is described as complementary rather than competitive, and the government expressed confidence in maintaining and strengthening its ties with Washington. The official also referred to an initiative on semiconductor supply chain partnerships for global democracies proposed by Lai, aiming to bring together partners like the U.S. and Japan to form “some kind of alliance.”

Taiwan, a global leader in producing advanced chips, is willing to further collaborate with other democratic countries on semiconductor supply chains, the official said.