by N. Peter Kramer
President Tsai addressed by video the ‘Taiwan – EU Supply Chains Forum’, March 10 in Brussels. ‘Taiwan and the EU are key trading partners. We will continue to work together to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance cooperation in order to build more resilient, diversified and reliable global supply chains’, she told the audience. The President continued with saying that the partnership is built on shared belief in democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. ‘Emerging global challenges have highlighted the need for supply chain resilience. The EU has put green energy and the digital economy at the center of its economic recovery plans. Taiwan has named renewable energy, next-generation electronics and biotechnology among our Core Strategic Industries.’ In her speech, President Tsai Ing-wen specifically called for strengthening "Taiwan-EU connectivity." She thanked friends of Taiwan in the European Parliament and EU business leaders for their support for it. ’This connectivity spurs investment and creates jobs, laying a firm foundation for future growth’.
Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Josep Wu and Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua also addressed the forum. Mr. Wu stated that Taiwan-EU trade and investment relations have never been stronger. ‘So far this year, Taiwanese investments in the EU’s semiconductor industry have already exceeded 4.35 billion euros. COVID-19 has made the EU attach great importance to the concept of supply chain security’. His colleague Mrs. Wang said that Taiwan and the EU have built a complementary partnership. ‘While the EU is superior in innovations, Taiwan possesses a sound IPR ecosystem and complete clusters. The quick response to expand the production of facial masks at the start of the pandemic as well as automotive chips during the recent chip shortage indicate Taiwan’s important role in world supply chains and reliability’. ‘Masks and chips are small in size, but they are indispensable. Likewise, Taiwan is geographically small, but it has proven its strength in helping the world’, she added.
The forum was moderated by Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev, Vice Chair of the EP-Taiwan Friendship Group and featured the participation of both European and Taiwanese business leaders.
