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2023-09-07
中文
President Tsai holds reception in Eswatini for traveling press corps

On the morning of September 7 local time (afternoon of the same day Taipei time), President Tsai Ing-wen held a reception at her lodgings in Eswatini for the press corps traveling with her delegation. The president shared the results of the trip and responded to media questions about diplomatic relations, the Africa Project, regional developments, domestic affairs, and other topics.

A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:

This afternoon we will all depart for Taiwan, and I want to thank you for your hard work over the past few days. This was my second trip to Eswatini, five years after my first visit. After those five years, everyone can see the results of our bilateral cooperation in many areas.

Yesterday we saw an example of our cooperation when we visited the Referral and Emergency Complex of the Mbabane Government Hospital, the renovation of which is the result of our joint efforts and of our countries overcoming many challenges. We renovated a 100-year-old building, modernized its facilities, and stationed Taiwan's medical mission there. The Taiwan Technical Mission is also conducting many cooperative agricultural programs in Eswatini.

During this trip, we have seen the growing confidence of our colleagues at the embassy and of members of our technical and medical missions. They have a sense of mission to achieve even greater progress in our diplomatic work.

From our trips abroad over the past year, whether to Guatemala and Belize, or Vice President Lai Ching-te's visit to Paraguay, or this trip to Eswatini, I am sure that everyone in the traveling press corps has felt the sincere friendship between Taiwan and our allies, as well as how much our friends in those countries value and support Taiwan.

Especially over the past two years, many government officials and new heads of state from our diplomatic allies have visited Taiwan. Our people's free and open lifestyle and Taiwan's stable economic development have made a deep impression on them.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) for their dedication. I know they have all done their utmost, including making very early preparations, and that some colleagues have come to Eswatini from other diplomatic postings to provide support. Over the past few days, I have repeatedly emphasized that diplomatic achievements are cumulative. Taiwan's diplomatic corps has been able to continue passing the baton, because each generation fosters the next with extensive experience that fortifies our future diplomatic efforts. That experience is the cornerstone of Taiwan's ability to maintain its presence on the international stage.

Going forward, we will continue working to expand the breadth and depth of Taiwan's diplomatic efforts. Once again, I want to thank all of our friends in the traveling press corps for your reporting, doing your best to report what you have seen so that more citizens can learn about Taiwan's diplomatic efforts. Thank you for your hard work.

Responding to a question from the media regarding whether she is concerned that China will continue to influence our diplomatic allies and whether or not she will have an opportunity to make a trip to Europe, President Tsai said that relations with all of our existing diplomatic allies are stable. She noted that this is especially true for Eswatini, which has long been a steadfast ally of Taiwan, adding that over the past few days everyone has witnessed the robust friendship between our two countries. The president also thanked Eswatini for the invitation to participate in the double celebration marking both the country's 55th year of independence and the 55th birthday of King Mswati III, saying that it allowed her to make another trip to Eswatini before leaving office and to witness the achievements and progress of our bilateral cooperation. One example, she mentioned, is the Mbabane Government Hospital everyone had visited the previous day, which was a construction site five years ago but is now where our highly efficient medical mission is stationed. The president then said she was delighted to engage in mutual assistance with our ally and friend. 

President Tsai noted that Taiwan's international visibility and support for Taiwan in the international community have increased significantly over the past few years, and that there is a very clear and broad consensus in countries around the world for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The president pointed out that Taiwan is now widely considered in the international community as a stable, reliable, and a trustworthy partner, and that Taiwan, as a force for good, has not only been acknowledged by international political leaders, but has also made a deep impression on people from around the world. These achievements, she noted, are the result of collective efforts. As for travel plans during her remaining term of office, the president said she believes that if there is a need, if it is good for Taiwan, and if it is an appropriate opportunity, then there will be a visit, but that there will not be a visit just for the sake of making a visit.

Asked whether she would attend this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in person to overcome the limitations on Taiwan's international participation, President Tsai responded by saying that every president would like to break this precedent set when APEC was founded, and that we will of course continue in our efforts, but that it is, indeed, a formidable challenge that we are taking one step at a time. The president said that this year we will continue to follow precedent by sending a leader's representative to attend, and that we will inform everyone after the arrangements have been made. 

Asked whether there was any competition intended by her current trip abroad, which comes after China's President Xi Jinping attended the recently concluded BRICS Summit in South Africa, President Tsai replied that every trip abroad is scheduled long in advance, and is not a spontaneous idea. She added in particular that the priority for this trip is Eswatini's independence day, which the country celebrates on September 6, and that the date does not change, so there is no need to read too much into the timing of the trip.

Asked whether she expects to make any diplomatic breakthroughs during her last months in office and if there is a chance for further exchanges with other countries in Africa, President Tsai pointed out that in addition to Eswatini, Taiwan has representative offices in several other African countries, and that 11 countries and over 80 legislators from both ruling and opposition parties in Africa issued a joint statement of welcome for this trip. She said that this is the result of efforts by our diplomatic staff in various countries over the past few years. 

President Tsai noted that Eswatini's King Mswati III mentioned that many political leaders from African countries had asked him about, and expressed interest in, Taiwan's affairs. That, the president explained, makes it clear that increasingly more people in Africa are becoming interested in Taiwan, and that they are paying more and more attention to Taiwan. She said that we are willing to interact with them to help everyone better understand Taiwan, and that we will look for opportunities to cooperate and develop substantive relations.  

One media member asked whether the president thinks Taiwan-related issues will be considered important matters of concern at the G20 Summit in India this month, like they were at the last G7 Summit. This was accompanied by two follow-up questions: whether this is an idea that the president has always wanted to convey to the international community and how the administration's team can convince people and make them more amenable to this way of thinking over time. President Tsai responded by saying that the G20 is still in its preparatory phase, so it is hard at present to comment on its future development. In addition, she said, Taiwan Strait issues have indeed received much attention over the past several years, being elevated from the cross-strait level to the Indo-Pacific regional level and becoming a global focus. The president said she believes that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait has a strong global consensus, which is that no single party can unilaterally change the status quo.

President Tsai went on to say that Taiwan has gained in importance in recent years and in several areas: First, Taiwan has taken on an increasingly prominent geostrategic role, one that becomes more important especially as the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific changes. Second, she said, Taiwan holds such a key position in international supply chains that even a slight change in circumstances will affect global supply chain stability. Third, she added, Taiwan's democratic achievements have indeed already become benchmarks for democracies around the world, and the people of Taiwan have shown their determination to defend democracy and freedom, which has given the whole world reason to see the importance of working together to safeguard democracy, thus increasing their willingness to assist Taiwan. 

President Tsai noted that over the past eight years our core approach to governance has been clear – stable development. The president explained that we seek development within stability, and that we have overcome various challenges as they came, one by one, with composure and sound measures. She said that the whole world has seen that we honor our commitments and work to maintain the status quo, and thus sees Taiwan as a reliable partner, as well as a good partner to work with in handling regional affairs and maintaining peace. She said that our position in supply chains and our geostrategic role have made the world value Taiwan's security even more, and that to protect Taiwan's democracy is to protect it as a universal value of the world. 

Referring to what the president had mentioned earlier about the next president taking up the baton for the future of the Africa Project, a question was posed as to whether that baton could possibly be passed to Vice President Lai. President Tsai responded by saying that the Africa Project was designed to strengthen substantive relations with Africa during her term of office, and that with many members of the overseas community living in Africa, we already have foundations in various areas and are able to cooperate to develop substantive work related to Africa. She added that there is a transition process when a president leaves office, and that she will relay information about important issues to the next president. No matter who the next president is, she said, she will do everything she can to ensure that whoever receives the baton understands those issues.

President Tsai said that during this trip many political leaders from African countries came forward to express their support, which is also part of our work, and that she looks forward to improving and expanding the Africa Project. The president also said that she hopes MOFA will focus on taking the project to the next phase, and after completing a review, determine the next phase so that the next president can resume work on the project quickly. During that review, she explained, we will solicit ideas from members of our overseas community who are immediately involved in the issues to improve the plan for the future and facilitate its overall implementation. 

Asked about the death by suicide of a lieutenant from the ROC Marine Corps' 99th Brigade, which his family has raised concerns about, President Tsai said that she is extremely concerned whenever anything happens to one of our brothers or sisters in the armed forces, and that she was greatly saddened by this incident. The president said she has directed the Ministry of National Defense to clarify the matter, that she will do everything possible to care for his family's emotional well-being, and that she will help with the subsequent arrangements.    

Responding to recent reports that there will be minor cabinet changes, the president said that if there were adjustments to be made to the cabinet, she would discuss them with the premier, and that any changes to the team would be announced after confirmation.  

Responding to a question about the ways China is interfering in elections in Taiwan, President Tsai said that attempts from across the Taiwan Strait to exert influence are on the rise, and the methods used are increasingly diverse. The president noted that cognitive warfare has been an important challenge for those of us in democratic societies, especially over the past few years. She emphasized that we must ensure that others do not use our democratic mechanisms to undermine our democracy, saying that this is also a test of the overall maturity of those mechanisms in Taiwan. She then called on the public to verify any questionable information, and when they confirm that it is disinformation, help to clarify it. She added that the government also has to take a major responsibility by clarifying disinformation as soon as it is discovered and providing better explanations to the public.

President Tsai pointed out that Taiwan's democracy is the culmination of the efforts of many generations, and is something precious that we must defend and protect. The president said that there are many challenges, especially during an election campaign, and that she hopes that everyone will remain vigilant and verify information of unknown origin, while reminding people around them to do the same.  

Asked to comment on the 2024 presidential election, as well as Taiwan People's Party Chairman Ko Wen-je's (柯文哲) proposed coalition cabinet and suggestion that the president convene a national affairs congress, President Tsai said that elections are extremely challenging, and as the incumbent she believes that the public expects that after the election everyone will sort out their personal feelings, transcend party affiliations, and come together to communicate. Noting that her term of office as president expires on May 20, 2024, she said that she will do everything she can to help before leaving office. 

Asked about the recent controversy regarding imported eggs, President Tsai said this is an issue for those with professional expertise, and that to vendors with knowledge of the industry, some of the international trade models they use may differ from our usual understanding of trade models for manufacturing products. She stated that both the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Agriculture have issued detailed explanations over the past few days, and said she is confident that the process has been open and aboveboard and will stand up to scrutiny. 

Referring to China's enormous influence in Africa over the past few years, one media member asked how Taiwan should deepen relations with African countries. President Tsai said that King Mswati III of Eswatini has told her that many African political leaders have expressed interest in understanding more about Taiwan. The previous day, she said, she also had an opportunity to meet and talk with political leaders from other African countries, all of whom expressed an avid interest in many of Taiwan's issues. The president noted that while it is true that China does have significant influence in Africa, African countries also hope to have other options so that their economies and other aspects of their external relations can include Taiwan. She said that we will therefore continue to communicate with them and seek opportunities for cooperation and for further substantive relations with Africa, both as a whole and as individual countries.

Regarding the approach of steadfast diplomacy she adopted after taking office in 2016, the president was asked how she hopes observers describe that approach after she leaves office eight years later. President Tsai responded by saying that MOFA has always emphasized steadfast diplomacy, adding that it will remain our core strategy and that she had just repeatedly emphasized advancing substantive relations.

Accompanying the president at the reception were Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花), Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青), Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), Deputy Secretary-General to the President Xavier Chang (張惇涵), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Chun Lee (李淳), and Ambassador to the Kingdom of Eswatini Jeremy H.S. Liang (梁洪昇).

President Tsai Ing-wen holds a reception at her lodgings in Eswatini for the press corps traveling with her delegation.
Head of the press corps presents President Tsai with a gift.
A reporter asks President Tsai a question.
President Tsai poses for a photo with the press corps traveling with her delegation.
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中文
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President Lai attends AmCham Taiwan 2025 Hsieh Nien Fan
On the evening of March 20, President Lai Ching-te attended the annual Hsieh Nien Fan (謝年飯) banquet hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham Taiwan). In remarks, President Lai pointed out that the United States is now a major source of investment in Taiwan, adding that last year US investment accounted for 11.5 percent of total foreign investment in Taiwan. The president also pointed out that the US has become Taiwan’s largest investment destination, as Taiwan’s direct and indirect investment in the US accounted for more than 40 percent of its total outbound investment last year. President Lai expressed hope that AmCham will continue to offer support in quickly resolving the issue of double taxation, further enhancing the mutually beneficial Taiwan-US economic and trade partnership. He also emphasized that one essential element for our economic prosperity is maintaining security and stability, both regionally and globally. The president expressed his belief that, so long as we coordinate our efforts, we can achieve more in our respective defense industries and build non-red supply chains, advancing peace, stability, and prosperity. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: I’m delighted to be here tonight. I want to wish everyone and their families a happy, healthy, and prosperous year ahead. For many years now, AmCham has acted as a bridge between Taiwan and the US. It not only advocates for Taiwan to various sectors in the US, but also offers advice for the development of Taiwan’s industries. So tonight, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our friends from the American business community. The 2025 Business Climate Survey, published by AmCham this January, demonstrates the confidence foreign businesses have in the Taiwan market. We are happy to see that over 80 percent of survey respondents reported stable or increased revenue last year, and around 80 percent expressed confidence in Taiwan’s economic prospects for the coming year. Moreover, 90 percent of businesses surveyed are planning to maintain or expand their investments in Taiwan. The positive developments in Taiwan made by our American friends here tonight, their outlook for the future, and their confidence in Taiwan, are further proof of Taiwan’s ideal environment for investment. The US is now a major source of investment in Taiwan. Last year, US investment accounted for 11.5 percent of total foreign investment in Taiwan. In 2023, Entegris opened a new manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung and Micron launched a new facility in Taichung. Last year, Google further solidified Taiwan as its biggest R&D hub outside of the US by opening a new office here. AMD, Nvidia, and major cloud computing companies from the US have also been choosing Taiwan to expand their presence. Over the past several years, the US has also become Taiwan’s largest investment destination. Taiwan’s direct and indirect investment in the US accounted for more than 40 percent of our total outbound investment last year. Four years ago, TSMC’s [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company] investment in facilities in Arizona became the biggest FDI [foreign direct investment] in a greenfield project in US history. And this month, TSMC announced it would expand that investment, breaking another record and highlighting the enduring prosperity shared by Taiwan and the US. In addition to TSMC, Taiwan’s GlobalWafers has built a 12-inch silicon wafer factory in Texas, the biggest in the US. This will be followed by many other industries. These companies are confidently expanding their global presence across the Pacific and eastward into the Americas. The US is moving to reindustrialize its manufacturing industry and consolidate high-tech leadership, as it moves to become a global AI hub. In these efforts, Taiwan is an indispensable partner for the US. While the US is a leader in chip design, Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing plays an irreplaceable part in the supply chain. Adapting to the changing geopolitical landscape and the coming era of smart technology, Taiwan will continue to promote its Five Trusted Industry Sectors of semiconductors, AI, military, next-gen communications, and security and surveillance. This will drive the next stage in our economic development. A great time to invest in Taiwan is now. We will continue to better connect relevant government agencies and align with international standards to foster a friendlier investment environment. And I am confident that Taiwanese and American companies can leverage their respective high-tech expertise and invest in each other, boosting growth in industrial innovation and development for both our economies. At the same time, we hope to continue deepening Taiwan-US trade relations. Last year, Taiwan was the seventh largest trading partner of the US, up one spot from the previous year, and bilateral trade grew by 24.2 percent. Taiwan is going to expand procurement from the US of industrial and agricultural products, as well as natural gas. I am very happy to welcome Governor [Mike] Dunleavy of Alaska, who has specially come all the way to Taiwan. Alaska is a source of high-quality natural gas, and its relatively short distance from Taiwan facilitates transportation. So we are very interested in buying Alaskan natural gas because it can meet our needs and ensure our energy security. We hope that AmCham will continue to offer support in quickly resolving the issue of double taxation and removing tax barriers to bilateral investment and trade, further enhancing the mutually beneficial Taiwan-US economic and trade partnership. One essential element for our economic prosperity is maintaining security and stability, both regionally and globally. So we are grateful for the joint leaders’ statement issued by [US] President [Donald] Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, in which they expressed their solid support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. As we face growing authoritarianism, Taiwan will continue to uphold our values of freedom and democracy and will be a responsible actor in regional and global security. Currently, Taiwan’s defense budget stands at about 2.5 percent of GDP. Going forward, the government will prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. At the same time, we will continue to reform national defense, further enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. And we will advance our cooperation with the US and other democracies in upholding regional stability and prosperity. We also welcome continued Taiwan-US cooperation in the defense sector. I believe that, so long as we coordinate our efforts, we can achieve more in our respective defense industries and build non-red supply chains, advancing peace, stability, and prosperity. In closing, I look forward to seeing even greater achievements from Taiwan-US economic and trade cooperation. Thank you. After remarks, President Lai, AmCham Chairperson Dan Silver, American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene, and Governor Dunleavy raised their glasses in recognition of the strong Taiwan-US friendship.  
中文
2025-04-06
President Lai delivers remarks on US tariff policy response
On April 6, President Lai Ching-te delivered recorded remarks regarding the impact of the 32 percent tariff that the United States government recently imposed on imports from Taiwan in the name of reciprocity. In his remarks, President Lai explained that the government will adopt five response strategies, including making every effort to improve reciprocal tariff rates through negotiations, adopting a support plan for affected domestic industries, adopting medium- and long-term economic development plans, forming new “Taiwan plus the US” arrangements, and launching industry listening tours. The president emphasized that as we face this latest challenge, the government and civil society will work hand in hand, and expressed hope that all parties, both ruling and opposition, will support the measures that the Executive Yuan will take to open up a broader path for Taiwan’s economy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: My fellow citizens, good evening. The US government recently announced higher tariffs on countries around the world in the name of reciprocity, including imposing a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan. This is bound to have a major impact on our nation. Various countries have already responded, and some have even adopted retaliatory measures. Tremendous changes in the global economy are expected. Taiwan is an export-led economy, and in facing future challenges there will inevitably be difficulties, so we must proceed carefully to turn danger into safety. During this time, I want to express gratitude to all sectors of society for providing valuable opinions, which the government regards highly, and will use as a reference to make policy decisions.  However, if we calmly and carefully analyze Taiwan’s trade with the US, we find that last year Taiwan’s exports to the US were valued at US$111.4 billion, accounting for 23.4 percent of total export value, with the other 75-plus percent of products sold worldwide to countries other than the US. Of products sold to the US, competitive ICT products and electronic components accounted for 65.4 percent. This shows that Taiwan’s economy does still have considerable resilience. As long as our response strategies are appropriate, and the public and private sectors join forces, we can reduce impacts. Please do not panic. To address the reciprocal tariffs by the US, Taiwan has no plans to adopt retaliatory tariffs. There will be no change in corporate investment commitments to the US, as long as they are consistent with national interests. But we must ensure the US clearly understands Taiwan’s contributions to US economic development. More importantly, we must actively seek to understand changes in the global economic situation, strengthen Taiwan-US industry cooperation, elevate the status of Taiwan industries in global supply chains, and with safeguarding the continued development of Taiwan’s economy as our goal, adopt the following five strategies to respond. Strategy one: Make every effort to improve reciprocal tariff rates through negotiations using the following five methods:  1. Taiwan has already formed a negotiation team led by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君). The team includes members from the National Security Council, the Office of Trade Negotiations, and relevant Executive Yuan ministries and agencies, as well as academia and industry. Like the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, negotiations on tariffs can start from Taiwan-US bilateral zero-tariff treatment. 2. To expand purchases from the US and thereby reduce the trade deficit, the Executive Yuan has already completed an inventory regarding large-scale procurement plans for agricultural, industrial, petroleum, and natural gas products, and the Ministry of National Defense has also proposed a military procurement list. All procurement plans will be actively pursued. 3. Expand investments in the US. Taiwan’s cumulative investment in the US already exceeds US$100 billion, creating approximately 400,000 jobs. In the future, in addition to increased investment in the US by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, other industries such as electronics, ICT, petrochemicals, and natural gas can all increase their US investments, deepening Taiwan-US industry cooperation. Taiwan’s government has helped form a “Taiwan investment in the US” team, and hopes that the US will reciprocate by forming a “US investment in Taiwan” team to bring about closer Taiwan-US trade cooperation, jointly creating a future economic golden age.  4. We must eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade. Non-tariff barriers are an indicator by which the US assesses whether a trading partner is trading fairly with the US. Therefore, we will proactively resolve longstanding non-tariff barriers so that negotiations can proceed more smoothly. 5. We must resolve two issues that have been matters of longstanding concern to the US. One regards high-tech export controls, and the other regards illegal transshipment of dumped goods, otherwise referred to as “origin washing.” Strategy two: We must adopt a plan for supporting our industries. For industries that will be affected by the tariffs, and especially traditional industries as well as micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, we will provide timely and needed support and assistance. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and his administrative team recently announced a package of 20 specific measures designed to address nine areas. Moving forward, the support we provide to different industries will depend on how they are affected by the tariffs, will take into account the particular features of each industry, and will help each industry innovate, upgrade, and transform. Strategy three: We must adopt medium- and long-term economic development plans. At this point in time, our government must simultaneously adopt new strategies for economic and industrial development. This is also the fundamental path to solutions for future economic challenges. The government will proactively cooperate with friends and allies, develop a diverse range of markets, and achieve closer integration of entities in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of industrial supply chains. This course of action will make Taiwan’s industrial ecosystem more complete, and will help Taiwanese industries upgrade and transform. We must also make good use of the competitive advantages we possess in such areas as semiconductor manufacturing, integrated chip design, ICT, and smart manufacturing to build Taiwan into an AI island, and promote relevant applications for food, clothing, housing, and transportation, as well as military, security and surveillance, next-generation communications, and the medical and health and wellness industries as we advance toward a smarter, more sustainable, and more prosperous new Taiwan. Strategy four: “Taiwan plus one,” i.e., new “Taiwan plus the US” arrangements: While staying firmly rooted in Taiwan, our enterprises are expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. This has been our national economic development strategy, and the most important aspect is maintaining a solid base here in Taiwan. We absolutely must maintain a solid footing, and cannot allow the present strife to cause us to waver. Therefore, our government will incentivize investments, carry out deregulation, and continue to improve Taiwan’s investment climate by actively resolving problems involving access to water, electricity, land, human resources, and professional talent. This will enable corporations to stay in Taiwan and continue investing here. In addition, we must also help the overseas manufacturing facilities of offshore Taiwanese businesses to make necessary adjustments to support our “Taiwan plus one” policy, in that our national economic development strategy will be adjusted as follows: to stay firmly rooted in Taiwan while expanding our global presence, strengthening US ties, and marketing worldwide. We intend to make use of the new state of supply chains to strengthen cooperation between Taiwanese and US industries, and gain further access to US markets. Strategy five: Launch industry listening tours: All industrial firms, regardless of sector or size, will be affected to some degree once the US reciprocal tariffs go into effect. The administrative teams led by myself and Premier Cho will hear out industry concerns so that we can quickly resolve problems and make sure policies meet actual needs. My fellow citizens, over the past half-century and more, Taiwan has been through two energy crises, the Asian financial crisis, the global financial crisis, and pandemics. We have been able to not only withstand one test after another, but even turn crises into opportunities. The Taiwanese economy has emerged from these crises stronger and more resilient than ever. As we face this latest challenge, the government and civil society will work hand in hand, and I hope that all parties in the legislature, both ruling and opposition, will support the measures that the Executive Yuan will take to open up a broader path for Taiwan’s economy. Let us join together and give it our all. Thank you.
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