Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the afternoon of September 27, President Tsai Ing-wen met with Stanford University Professor Andrew Ng. In remarks, President Tsai stated that Taiwan has an excellent foundation in semiconductors and smart manufacturing, and expressed hope that Taiwan can accelerate the development of artificial intelligence and its associated applications, so that we can continue to upgrade and transform our industries. Stating that the government will give its full support to the development of AI technologies, the president expressed her belief that Taiwan has what it takes to develop a comprehensive AI ecosystem and become an international AI powerhouse. A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows: The last time Professor Ng visited Taiwan was in 2019, before the global pandemic started. He was here at the invitation of the Ministry of Science and Technology to give a lecture on the theme "What's next in AI." Four years later, the AI wave has truly arrived and the whole world is paying close attention to this issue. Professor Ng, let me welcome you to Taiwan again. Through this visit, I hope that you can build closer connections with industry and academia in Taiwan to discuss and explore more potential applications for AI. Technological advances have made it easier to put AI into practice. AI can now play a role in finding solutions to the many issues faced by modern society in areas such as climate change, healthcare, and traffic safety. As Professor Ng has said, AI is transforming almost every industry. It is for this reason that Taiwan hopes to accelerate the development of AI and its associated applications, so that we can continue to upgrade and transform Taiwan's industries and cultivate more talent, making Taiwan a smart, digital nation. As AI applications grow increasingly complex, the chip and information and communications technology industries, among others, will have to adapt. AI has also become an important driver for the future of the semiconductor industry. And with the geopolitical changes of recent years, countries around the world are seeking a reliable supply chain. I am confident that building on our solid foundation of talent and R&D, Taiwan will maintain its position of global prominence in this area. Moving forward, Taiwan will work with like-minded partners, using technology to strengthen social trust, safeguard and enhance our democracy and freedoms, and reduce any potentially negative impacts of AI. I also want to thank Taiwania Capital CEO David Weng (翁嘉盛) for his longstanding efforts to facilitate Taiwanese industries' global engagement and for his keen interest in AI. Thank you for hosting the Navigating the Future of AI forum and for inviting Professor Ng to visit Taiwan to explore the trends in and challenges of AI with us. Taiwan has an excellent foundation in semiconductors and smart manufacturing as well as outstanding talent in AI. The government is also giving its full support to the development of AI technologies. I believe that Taiwan has what it takes to develop a comprehensive AI ecosystem. The world can count on Taiwan to become an international AI powerhouse. I once again welcome you, Professor Ng, and I wish you a successful and rewarding visit to Taiwan. 

On the morning of December 8, President Tsai Ing-wen attended the opening ceremony of the 2021 Energy Taiwan exhibition. In remarks, President Tsai stated that by 2025 domestic construction of wind and solar power installations is set to generate NT$1.7 trillion in investments, more than NT$2 trillion in output value, and 160,000 job opportunities. The president also said that the government is making every effort to make Taiwan the green energy hub of Asia, while speeding up and expanding our green energy rollout so that Taiwan's energy sector will be an indispensable link in the international green energy supply chain. A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows: We're all aware that one of the key issues at last month's COP26 was the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This goal has become a global consensus, and, going forward, countries around the world will be working toward reducing their carbon emissions. Transforming our energy sector is the key to reducing carbon emissions, and today's Energy Taiwan exhibition highlights Taiwan's determination and ability to develop renewable energy. Each of you here is an important partner to our government in our joint effort to promote Taiwan's energy transition. I have participated in this exhibition's opening ceremony for four consecutive years, not just to show how important energy issues are for this administration, but also to thank all of you in person. Because of your efforts, Taiwan has been able to engage with the international community and contribute more to the world. Climate change is a global challenge, and Taiwan is joining the global response. The Environmental Protection Administration is currently working on amendments to our nation's Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act, including writing the 2050 net-zero goal into law. And the Executive Yuan has set up a task force to evaluate possible paths toward net-zero emissions and draft a blueprint for our energy transition. Today's exhibition is our domestic green energy industry's largest platform for exchange. I want everyone to know that our government is making every effort to realize our vitally important goal of making Taiwan the green energy hub of Asia. In the future, global industrial demand for green energy will only continue to grow. This year, Taiwan began to implement provisions that will spur major power consumers to increase the proportion of renewable energy they use within five years. The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will also subject the carbon footprints of export products to more rigorous inspections. As such, many international enterprises have joined the RE100 initiative, under which they have committed to using 100-percent renewable energy in the future. Here, TSMC and UMC are among the companies which have joined RE100 and have acted on their green energy commitments. I'm sure you all noticed that last week, SEMI released new data showing that Taiwan's firms spent over US$7.3 billion on semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the third quarter, setting a domestic record and making Taiwan the world's largest market for such equipment. This year, the output value of Taiwan's semiconductor industry is projected to surpass NT$4 trillion for the first time ever. Our semiconductor industry is indeed thriving. To meet urgent industry demand for green energy, our government is speeding up and expanding our green energy rollout, and is helping make Taiwan's energy sector an indispensable link in the international green energy supply chain. I also want to share with you that Taiwan's solar energy installed capacity has grown by a factor of 4.7 over the past five years, and our second offshore wind farm has also started operation. We expect that, through 2025, wind and solar power construction projects in Taiwan will generate NT$1.7 trillion in investments, more than NT$2 trillion in output value, and 160,000 job opportunities. To further progress and develop, Taiwan must continue to promote the transformation of our energy sector. To reach our long-term goal of net-zero emissions, we need to use natural gas in this transitional period and build a more flexible and responsive power supply network. Building the third liquefied natural gas import terminal will help relieve the imbalance created by generating power for northern Taiwan in central and southern Taiwan, and will also reduce air pollution in central and southern Taiwan. This facility is crucial to Taiwan's energy sector and to achieving net-zero emissions. We all know how important energy is to our nation's economic development, industrial competitiveness, and people's everyday lives. So, however difficult this energy transition may be, our government will continue to engage with people throughout society to jointly resolve any issues we might encounter. I hope we can combine our collective strengths and resolutely forge ahead on this path. In closing, I want to thank the organizer and co-organizers for their efforts to expand the scope of this exhibition every year. I also want to congratulate today's award winners, and thank each of you for your contributions to transforming Taiwan's energy sector. Let's continue to work together toward this goal. Thank you, and I wish you all a successful exhibition. Following her address, President Tsai presented the SEMI Taiwan Industry Contribution Awards, Taiwan Excellent PV Awards, Top Solar Awards, and PVGSA Renewable PV Power System Promotion Awards to awardees and firms. The president also visited the Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, United Renewable Energy, and Taiwan Solar Energy Corporation exhibition booths and listened to presentations introducing their products. Also in attendance at the exhibition were Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Chuan-neng (林全能), Chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council James C. F. Huang (黃志芳), SEMI Taiwan President Terry Tsao (曹世綸), and members of the diplomatic corps stationed in Taiwan.

On the afternoon of October 14, President Tsai Ing-wen delivered recorded opening remarks at the 2021 Taiwan Innotech Expo. President Tsai emphasized that, to respond to the need for digital transformation and innovative development in the business sector, the government has been guiding companies in upgrading their R&D capabilities, and has also been working to promote national digital transformation so that Taiwan can make further progress toward becoming a "smart nation." The president also expressed hope that the Taiwan Innotech Expo would facilitate the involvement of more people in these efforts, so that Taiwan can continually improve its R&D capabilities and make greater strides toward our goal of industrial innovation. A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows: The Taiwan Innotech Expo is being held this year as a hybrid event, with both physical and virtual exhibits. These exhibits cover everything from space technology and digital transformation to new agriculture, highlighting Taiwan's rich and diverse range of innovative capabilities. This year's expo brings together R&D achievements from 10 different government agencies, as well as outstanding R&D teams from Taiwan and around the world. There are more than 300 firms from 24 countries, with 1,300 tech products on display. I want to thank each of the government agencies involved for their hard work setting up this event. Over the past few years, to respond to the need for digital transformation and innovative development in the business sector, the government has been guiding companies to enhance their R&D capabilities and has been promoting national digital transformation so that Taiwan can make further progress toward becoming a "smart nation." Taiwan also places highly in rankings of global competitiveness. The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) ranked Taiwan eighth in its 2021 World Competitiveness Yearbook, up three spots from last year and the first time that Taiwan has ranked in the top 10. And in the IMD Yearbook's category of "total R&D personnel per capita," Taiwan was ranked first in the world. These rankings show once again that the world recognizes and respects Taiwan's R&D capabilities. Though the pandemic has tested us, we see it as an opportunity for Taiwan to innovate and transform itself. Today's opening highlights the foundation we have built with our 5+2 innovative industries plan, as well as the results of technological research under our Six Core Strategic Industries policy. We hope this expo will spur more people to help Taiwan continue to improve its R&D capabilities and make great strides in innovation. In closing, I wish everyone a successful and productive expo. Thank you.

On the morning of August 3, President Tsai Ing-wen met with leaders of the Reform for Resilience Commission's (R4R) Asia-Pacific Hub. In her remarks at the meeting, President Tsai highlighted the importance of promoting sustainable, balanced development and building a more robust social safety net as countries around the world continue to concurrently fight the pandemic and pursue economic recovery. The president expressed hope that the leaders of the R4R Asia-Pacific Hub would continue to contribute their expertise to advancing Taiwan's international cooperation and developing more resilient models for sustainable development, further aiding global disease prevention efforts. A translation of the president's remarks follows: I would like to welcome our visitors to the Presidential Office. All of you play key roles in academia or industry in Taiwan, and have long been involved in public affairs. You have also used your influence to speak up for Taiwan internationally, raising our global profile. For some time now, fighting COVID-19 has been the main focus of countries around the world, including Taiwan. I want to thank you all for your efforts to share the lessons learned in Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region with the world to strengthen both domestic and international disease prevention efforts, while also helping to promote Taiwan's global ties. Your work concerns the crucial challenge of "resilience" in the post-pandemic era, which has also become a popular topic in the field of global governance. In fact, our national security agencies have for a long time been conducting tests on many aspects of social resilience, and have been engaged in infrastructure projects to protect against the damage that we know natural disasters and pandemics can cause to the overall structure of our society. This is why I believe it is so important that your work has allowed us to engage with the international community on this issue. Taiwan has indeed faced many challenges recently, but we have withstood them one by one, demonstrating the resilience of Taiwanese society. I have often called Taiwan an "island of resilience," and we have weathered such storms for centuries. I believe that many challenges lie ahead, but as long as we work together, we can get through them all. At this stage of the pandemic, as countries around the world maintain disease prevention efforts and pursue economic recovery, we are all also thinking about how to promote sustainable, balanced development and build a more robust social safety net. I hope that Taiwan will have even more opportunities to share our experiences in this area with other nations. I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate former Vice President Chen Chien-jen, who was named by Pope Francis as a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Your appointment let the whole world see Taiwan's academic achievements, and I believe it was an affirmation of Taiwan's democratic system in light of your past service as our vice president. To close, I would like to once again thank all the experts and scholars here today for everything you have done for Taiwan. I hope you will continue to contribute your expertise to strengthening Taiwan's international cooperation and developing more resilient models for sustainable development, further aiding global disease prevention efforts. Also in attendance at the meeting were R4R Commissioners former Vice President Chen Chien-jen and Acer founder Stan Shih (施振榮), as well as Prof. Chang-Chuan Chan (詹長權), Prof. Syaru Shirley Lin (林夏如), John Tzuchiang Li (李自強), and Prof. Chou Kuei-tien (周桂田), who serve, respectively, as Advisory Board Chair, Chair and Convenor, Executive Director, and research partner of the R4R Asia-Pacific Hub.

On the morning of September 24, President Tsai Ing-wen met with directors and supervisors from SEMI and the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA), as well as other top executives of semiconductor enterprises from home and abroad. The president emphasized that SEMICON Taiwan being held as usual this year despite the pandemic highlights not only Taiwan's achievements in controlling the spread of COVID-19, but also the resilience of our semiconductor sector. She expressed hope that through the concerted efforts of our government and private sectors, the industry will continue to boost competitiveness, and remain a global leader. A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows: I attended the SEMICON Taiwan Leadership Gala Dinner with many of you yesterday, and I am delighted to host you today here at the Presidential Office so we can communicate further. Every year in September, the SEMICON Taiwan international semiconductor exhibition is a major event that receives a lot of attention in Taiwan, as well as global semiconductor industry circles. This year, as we face the challenges of a global pandemic, everyone either holding or participating in this exhibition is putting in a lot of extra effort. To serve international firms that could not come to Taiwan, this year there is a completely new, hybrid physical-virtual exhibit platform to help visitors from around the world overcome travel limitations and access the latest market information. Everyone has worked so hard to overcome existing obstacles for one purpose: to increase the competitiveness and impact of Taiwan's semiconductor industry. Last Tuesday, under the leadership of SEMI Taiwan President Terry Tsao (曹世綸), SEMI announced the establishment of a high-tech innovation and entrepreneurship platform. During the current SEMICON Taiwan exhibition, SEMI also held a semiconductor matchmaking event to support startup enterprises and help Taiwan enter global markets. Beginning last month, TSIA Chairman Mark Liu (劉德音) also began his term as this year's global chairman of the World Semiconductor Council (WSC). This year, TSIA also held the WSC annual meeting for the third time, with Chairman Liu taking on great responsibilities, which I am sure will strengthen the Taiwan semiconductor industry's international connections. I would like to take this opportunity to offer a special thanks to SEMI and TSIA for their contributions, and to all of you for your tremendous efforts to spur overall industry development. Taiwan's semiconductor industry is a key force in global supply chains. We see semiconductors as a critical strategic industry, and will actively assist industry players to resolve difficult problems to continue consolidating domestic semiconductor industry advantages, and even more importantly, accelerating transformation and development. In my 2020 inauguration speech, I mentioned that our Six Core Strategic Industries include many semiconductor-related industries, which are key industries for our next generation of industrial development and a top priority. We are addressing the talent issue that everyone is concerned about. Our Executive Yuan, through cooperation among government agencies including the National Development Council, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Ministry of Education, has recently discussed various ways to meet industry needs, including setting up an advanced semiconductor education program, and increasing the number of faculty and students in related academic departments. So wherever you want to go, we will be able to send talent there. We are also continuing to implement our plan to make Taiwan an advanced manufacturing center for semiconductors. Focal points for future development include the localization of material supplies, boosting technological autonomy, the localization of foreign equipment manufacturing, and increasing domestic production of advanced packaging equipment. We will implement these initiatives one-by-one to give Taiwan's semiconductor industry more potent technological capabilities and more complete industry supply chains, enhancing our key position in global supply chains. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of SEMI, and its half-century of history makes this an especially significant year. The fact that SEMICON Taiwan was held as usual this year amidst a pandemic highlights not only Taiwan's achievements in controlling the spread of COVID-19, but also the resilience of our semiconductor sector. Through this exhibition, Taiwan's semiconductor industry provides access to the latest industry trends and market opportunities, promoting international cooperation and exchanges while accelerating the global economic recovery. This is the impact of Taiwan's semiconductor industry. In the future, I hope that through the concerted efforts of our government and private sectors, the industry will continue to boost competitiveness, and remain a leader in the global semiconductor industry. Also attending the meeting were TSIA Chairman Mark Liu, ASE Technology Holding Company Director and Chief Operating Officer Tien Wu (吳田玉), SEMI Taiwan President Terry Tsao, and Etron Technology Chairman & CEO Nicky Lu (盧超群).

In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.