Taiwan lawyer says communication with Trump administration continues over $14B arms deal
FOX Business' Lydia Hu spoke with Taiwan's ambassador to the US about President Donald Trump's $40 billion arms deal, increasing tensions with China and why Taiwan says the US relationship is important to global stability.
As President Donald Trump weighs a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, communication between Taipei and Washington continues, according to Alexander Yui, Taiwan's representative to the US.
“This is something that goes on,” Yui said. “An ongoing conversation. It's not just that it's not happening, it's ending. It's a continuation of things.”
Taiwan is also increasing its defense spending. Lawmakers recently approved an additional defense package worth about $25 billion, although Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has pushed for closer to $40 billion.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., right, greets Alexander Yui, Taiwan's representative to the US, before a meeting at the US Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“My government is doing its best,” Yui said. “But again, I want to emphasize the determination of the Taiwanese people to defend themselves in our own way and help from any other alliance is welcome.”
Yui said semiconductor production is one of the clear reasons the US should continue to support Taiwan militarily. Taiwan produces about 90% of the world's advanced semiconductor chips, creating what he described as a deeply interconnected global supply chain.
The Taipei 101 building and other buildings are illuminated at dusk in Taipei, Taiwan. (Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“The United States is very good at designing chips, and we are very good at measuring and producing chips using equipment from the United States, from the Netherlands, from Japan,” said Yui. “This partnership triangle works very well.”
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Taiwan has also pledged to invest $250 billion in semiconductor and manufacturing technology in the US as Trump pushes to boost domestic chip production.
“It's not that easy. But we're trying to bring production to the United States as well, because it's in line with our interest in expanding our production,” said Yui.
Taiwan also pledged to invest $250 billion in semiconductor manufacturing and technology in the US (Lyu Bin/VCG via Getty Images)
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Yui also dismissed any suggestion that Taiwan is moving toward independence, saying the island's government is working to maintain the status quo.
“There is no Taiwan independence movement in Taiwan because there is no need. We in Taiwan [are] called the Republic of China, we are already an independent, independent nation,” Yui said. “We are just trying to maintain the status quo.”
