Source: Republic of China Taiwan
President Lai holds press conference on Taiwan-US Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue
Last week, the sixth annual Taiwan-US Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD) was held in Washington, DC. On the morning of February 3, President Lai Ching-te held a press conference to brief the public on its results. In remarks, President Lai explained that this round of the EPPD focused on four key pillars: strategic alignment on supply chain security, cooperation on critical minerals, cooperation in third countries, and bilateral cooperation. The president stated that Taiwan-US cooperation will advance toward three major strategic directions going forward: enhancing economic security, building up an innovation-driven economy, and fostering a prosperous future.
President Lai stated that Taiwan is not only strengthening cooperation with the US, but also continuing to deepen economic and trade partnerships with other countries around the world. The president stated that our administration will continue to pursue two major objectives: deepening Taiwan-US economic and trade relations and diversifying our global presence in terms of technology, enabling Taiwan’s industries to remain firmly rooted in Taiwan while further expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. He then expressed confidence that we can work with fellow democracies to steer the next generation of prosperity.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
Last week, the sixth annual Taiwan-US EPPD was held in Washington, DC. This mechanism was established during US President Donald Trump’s first term. Last week’s meeting was the first EPPD convened during President Trump’s second term and the first in-person meeting between the principal representatives of both sides since the first EPPD was held in 2020. Thus, it holds significant importance for Taiwan-US relations.
First, I would like to thank Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫), and all our colleagues who contributed their efforts to this meeting. I also want to thank the US for its support, which helped the dialogue proceed smoothly and successfully.
Thanks to the dedication and hard work of our colleagues, the meeting achieved fruitful results. Especially of note is that during the team’s trip to the US, a state of emergency was declared in Washington, DC due to a severe winter storm, meaning that federal government offices were temporarily closed. Everyone’s efforts under such difficult conditions are truly appreciated.
From the convening of the sixth annual EPPD, we can clearly see that the Taiwan-US economic and strategic partnership has become even deeper and closer.
In recent years, Taiwan and the US have continued to step up cooperation and exchanges in many fields. In particular, the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, pursued together by both sides, is the most comprehensive trade agreement signed between Taiwan and the US since 1979. The first agreement entered into force two years ago, laying a solid legal foundation for bilateral economic and trade relations.
Since I took office, my administration has continued to advance the next round of negotiations under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade while closely monitoring the economic and trade policies of US presidential candidates and the president-elect.
That is why, after the US announced its new tariff policy in April last year, our team from the Presidential Office and Executive Yuan, along with our front-line negotiation team, responded to the changing situation by staying fully informed and engaged, considering all aspects of the situation, and making an all-out effort.
After nine months of hard work, we concluded the Taiwan-US reciprocal tariff negotiations last month, achieving results that have satisfied our people and earned the admiration of the international community.
These achievements are not limited to reductions in tariff figures. More importantly, they ensure that Taiwanese enterprises can compete on an equal footing with the world’s major competitors in the international economic and trade arena.
However, tariff negotiations are only one part of Taiwan-US cooperation. Continuing to deepen our economic and strategic partnership through ongoing dialogue, exchanges, and expanding the results of bilateral collaboration has always been our goal.
After our team returned to Taiwan, Ministers Lin and Kung briefed me earlier today on the progress made in this year’s EPPD. I have invited them here to report these achievements to the public.
This round of the dialogue focused on four key pillars: strategic alignment on supply chain security, cooperation on critical minerals, cooperation in third countries, and bilateral cooperation. From these pillars of discussion, we can outline three major strategic directions for Taiwan-US cooperation going forward.
First, enhancing economic security.
Amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, the AI, semiconductor, and other high-tech industries are placing increasing emphasis on security, trustworthiness, and resilience, and are accelerating the development of resilient non-red supply chains.
At this critical juncture, Taiwan and the US signed the Joint Statement on the Pax Silica Declaration and Taiwan-US Economic Security Cooperation, demonstrating our shared commitment to enhancing economic security together.
Going forward, Taiwan and the US will prepare to establish working groups to maintain close communication and enhanced interaction on issues of mutual concern, so that we can jointly build safer and more resilient supply chains.
Second, building up an innovation-driven economy.
Taiwan possesses world-class manufacturing capabilities, while the US has an unparalleled innovation ecosystem, core technologies, and strong connections to global markets. Together, we form a strategically complementary partnership capable of generating mutual prosperity.
This EPPD will help Taiwan and the US jointly advance an innovation-driven economy. We will promote substantive initiatives in supply chain security, unmanned aircraft systems component certification, and the removal of tax-related barriers to investment, ensuring that our partnership keeps pace with the rapid technological transformation reshaping global industry and ushers in the next generation of prosperity.
Third, fostering a prosperous future.
This year’s EPPD covered a wide range of topics, including AI supply chains, digital infrastructure, critical minerals supply, unmanned aircraft systems supply chains, and cooperation in third countries. It is the most diverse and comprehensive EPPD to date.
These results clearly show that Taiwan-US cooperation is no longer limited to a single industry, but has evolved into a broad, cross-sector, and deeply interconnected partnership. Taiwan and the US are indispensable partners building a mutually prosperous future.
I would like to emphasize that industrial complementarity and regulatory reliability are like two legs that together keep Taiwan-US cooperation standing.
Accordingly, Taiwan will accelerate alignment with international trade standards, ensure a predictable and transparent legal environment, and enhance industrial alignment with the US on the basis of mutual trust and mutual benefits, jointly building resilient and competitive global supply chain networks.
My fellow citizens, Taiwan is not only strengthening cooperation with the US, but also continuing to deepen economic and trade partnerships with other countries around the world.
In recent years, Taiwan has renewed investment protection agreements and double taxation avoidance agreements with major Southeast Asian investment partners. Moreover, last year, under our Enhanced Trade Partnership arrangement with the United Kingdom, we signed three pillar arrangements on investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero emissions. We have also signed a digital trade agreement with Japan.
Through agreements and arrangements like these, Taiwan is able to expand economic and trade exchanges, increase bilateral investment, broaden areas of cooperation, and enhance industrial competitiveness with our partners. This not only helps Taiwan’s industries expand into the global economic network, but also drives further transformation and upgrading of Taiwan’s economy.
Taiwan is on the right economic path and is striding confidently as it engages with the world. We have both the strength and the confidence to work with fellow democracies to steer the next generation of prosperity.
Looking ahead, our administration will continue to pursue two major objectives: deepening Taiwan-US economic and trade relations and diversifying our global presence in terms of technology. This will enable Taiwan’s industries to remain firmly rooted in Taiwan while further expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide.
I would also like to take this opportunity to once again thank our front-line trade negotiation team, who have shouldered the mission of Taiwan’s future economic development. It is their tireless dedication and unwavering commitment that have allowed us to stride ahead with such momentum.
The outcomes of the trade negotiations are closely tied to our nation’s economic prosperity and the well-being of our people. I sincerely hope that, in their deliberation on the Taiwan-US tariff agreement, members of the Legislative Yuan will uphold professionalism, proceed in accordance with the law, rise above partisan divides, and work together to safeguard these hard-won achievements.
The more secure our economy, the more prosperous our industries will be, and the stronger Taiwan will be in engaging with the world.
With the Lunar New Year approaching, I would also like to extend early holiday greetings to everyone. In the coming year, let us stand united, continue to strengthen Taiwan, and advance side by side with the world on the path of prosperity. Thank you.