Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has stated that if European nations want to see continuing Taiwanese investment in semiconductor manufacture, they should improve relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC), is the largest contract chipmaker in the world.
According to Wu, Taiwan would not obstruct investments in Europe, but there was a "philosophical issue" that any nation seeking Taiwanese assistance should take the relationship with Taiwan as a whole into account.
“I think that is something for us to think about,” he said. “Even though we are not selfish in stopping TSMC making investment in other countries, we certainly hope that other countries who want to attract TSMC... can also think about the situation Taiwan is in.”
“If they can think along that positive line, the relations between Taiwan and European countries, major European countries, are going to be so much better than before,” said Wu.
The minister asked not to disclose the country he was in, due to the sensitivity of his trip.
However, according to reports, Wu did visit the Czech Republic and, also traveled to Brussels, where EU and NATO headquarters are located.
Wu asserted that EU leaders have become clearer than before in their calls for peace in the Taiwan Strait, the body of water separating China and Taiwan, and the maintenance of the status quo, and he suggested that the union should consider enhancing its relationship with Taiwan by considering a bilateral investment agreement (BIA).
In 2015, the EU listed Taiwan as a potential partner for the BIA; however, no discussions on the subject have taken place.
Wu remarked that it was very challenging and expressed concern that a stalled EU-China investment deal was holding it captive.
"We hope we can go ahead with it and we hope we can persuade the EU leadership to think about this in a positive way."
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC), is the largest contract chipmaker in the world.
According to Wu, Taiwan would not obstruct investments in Europe, but there was a "philosophical issue" that any nation seeking Taiwanese assistance should take the relationship with Taiwan as a whole into account.
“I think that is something for us to think about,” he said. “Even though we are not selfish in stopping TSMC making investment in other countries, we certainly hope that other countries who want to attract TSMC... can also think about the situation Taiwan is in.”
“If they can think along that positive line, the relations between Taiwan and European countries, major European countries, are going to be so much better than before,” said Wu.
The minister asked not to disclose the country he was in, due to the sensitivity of his trip.
However, according to reports, Wu did visit the Czech Republic and, also traveled to Brussels, where EU and NATO headquarters are located.
Wu asserted that EU leaders have become clearer than before in their calls for peace in the Taiwan Strait, the body of water separating China and Taiwan, and the maintenance of the status quo, and he suggested that the union should consider enhancing its relationship with Taiwan by considering a bilateral investment agreement (BIA).
In 2015, the EU listed Taiwan as a potential partner for the BIA; however, no discussions on the subject have taken place.
Wu remarked that it was very challenging and expressed concern that a stalled EU-China investment deal was holding it captive.
"We hope we can go ahead with it and we hope we can persuade the EU leadership to think about this in a positive way."
