1. U.S.: Reaction to U.S. Aid Pause, Trump’s Mixed Signals and President Lai’s Meeting with Former Deputy National Security Advisor
After the Trump Administration issued a widespread pause on U.S. government aid last month, including aid to Taiwan, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S. Alexander Yui (俞大㵢) said, “This is a suspension, not an elimination or a cancellation [of foreign aid programs], and it does not target any particular country.” He added that the Taiwan and U.S. governments have “a mutual understanding” on the issue, but did not go any further.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s mixed signals on Taiwan may suggest he does not have “an overly thought-out plan” on how to approach it, according to experts who spoke to The Wall Street Journal last week. Trump has criticized Taiwan’s trade surplus with the U.S. and accused it of stealing the U.S.’s semiconductor industry. But this week the U.S. State Department’s website dropped wording against supporting Taiwan independence.
Taiwan has offered a number of responses. President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has said that Taiwan will look to increase investment and procurement in the U.S. to facilitate balanced trade while strengthening guidance and support for Taiwan enterprises to do the same. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and state-run CPC Corporation (台灣中油) are looking to buy more natural gas from the U.S. to help cut the trade surplus. And sources have told Reuters Taiwan is considering purchasing billions of dollars of weapons from the U.S.
On February 17, Taiwanese President Lai met with former United States deputy national security advisor Matthew Pottinger in Taipei. In remarks given to the media, Pottinger said only by bolstering Taiwan’s defense capabilities can we demonstrate effective deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and around the world.
2. Japan: Statement Supporting ‘Meaningful Participation’ in International Organizations and Deeper Cooperation Over Semiconductors
On February 15, the Trilateral U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Meeting released a joint statement expressing “support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations” and peaceful resolutions to cross-strait issues.
At a meeting with a Japanese delegation from the Kyushu Regional Strategy Council last week, Taiwan’s Economic Minister Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) proposed deeper cooperation over semiconductors. He added that Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs is planning to set up a Taiwan trade and investment center in Fukuoka, focusing on helping semiconductor and AI firms expand into Japan.
Taiwanese people married in Japan have been allowed to register their home country as “Taiwan.” Until now, they have had to select “China.”
Seven Taiwanese films have been selected to feature in the Osaka Film Festival next month.
3. Europe: Comparison with 1938 Czechoslovakia and Semiconductor Cooperation in Eastern Europe
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) compared Taiwan to Czechoslovakia in 1938. He suggested China wants to take over Taiwan’s semiconductor industry in the same way Nazi Germany took over Czechoslovakia’s industries through the Munich Agreement, ultimately helping it pay to start World War II.
Alongside Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation’s 10 billion euro ($10.33 billion) investment in a new fab in Germany, and the opening of the Taiwan Trade and Investment Center in the Czech Republic, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has said it has plans to expand into the Czech cities of Usti and Brno. At the same time, Polish officials have said Poland is looking to integrate its car and battery production with Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.
On February 6, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) met with an Estonian delegation. Lin said authoritarian expansion such as Russia’s war with Ukraine and China’s military exercises near Taiwan highlight the need for cooperation between democracies.
On February 3, Lin Chia-lung awarded the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy to John Dennis, the outgoing head of the British Office Taipei. Dennis said the U.K. is committed to supporting Taiwan’s international participation and negotiations on the Taiwan-U.K. Enhanced Trade Partnership — covering digital trade, energy, net zero-emissions and investment — will be completed soon.
4. India: India Listed as Key Alternative
Taiwan’s external trade development council is setting up a dedicated team to consult with Taiwanese companies potentially affected by U.S. tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada, with India listed as one of three key alternative markets.
5. Diplomatic Allies: Stronger Economic Ties With Guatemala and Health Help for Haiti
President Lai Ching-te, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expressed condolences for those killed in a bus crash in Guatemala last week.
In remarks to the press on February 5, new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Trump administration wants to “take the relationship Guatemala has with Taiwan and expand it beyond diplomatic relations to stronger economic ties as well in terms of bringing investment.”
On the sidelines of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization in Geneva this month, Haiti’s Minister of Public Health Bertrand Sinal met with Taiwan’s Vice Minister of Health Ching-Yi Lin (林靜儀) to discuss a strategic partnership to strengthen medical capacity in Haiti.
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