讀後心得

Taiwan's National Security Council Secretary-General Wu Chao-hsieh recently arrived in the United States for secret talks with the Trump administration, marking the first use of "special channels" for meetings since Trump took office. This channel has been used for discussions on Taiwan-U.S. security issues, but both sides have not publicly acknowledged its existence. The Chinese military, meanwhile, has conducted military exercises around Taiwan, highlighting regional tensions. Trump reiterated his desire to bring the semiconductor industry back to the United States from Taiwan and pointed out the U.S. reliance on Taiwanese chip manufacturing. Against this backdrop, the Taiwanese government is actively negotiating to respond to the U.S. equivalent tariff policy to protect its industrial interests.

According to a report by Reuters, the Secretary-General of Taiwan's National Security Council, Wu Zhao-xie, has arrived in the United States and held secret meetings with officials from President Trump's administration. The Financial Times also pointed out that Wu Zhao-xie led a delegation to the U.S. to engage in "special channel" meetings with Trump administration officials, marking the first use of this platform since Trump returned to the White House on January 20. The report mentioned that Taiwan and the U.S. have long utilized this "special channel," but it was only publicly exposed for the first time in 2021. This channel provides space for Washington and Taipei officials to discuss security issues, but both sides have never publicly acknowledged or discussed it. The U.S. side maintains a low profile regarding this channel to avoid provoking Beijing.

In the context of increasing military threats from China and the U.S. imposing tariffs on China, the Chinese military recently completed a two-day military exercise around Taiwan, including live-fire drills in the East China Sea, which is seen as a further escalation of China's military actions. Furthermore, Trump announced the implementation of reciprocal tariffs on all countries imposing tariffs on U.S. goods, affecting 185 countries and regions, with tariff rates for products from China, the EU, and Taiwan set at 34%, 20%, and 32%, respectively. However, reports indicate that the primary purpose of Wu Zhao-xie's visit was not to coordinate reciprocal tariff policies, as the meeting dates were confirmed before the policy announcement.

Informed sources revealed that the Taiwanese government has sent representatives to Washington to negotiate on reciprocal tariffs to strengthen the negotiation's content and intensity. Facing the challenges brought about by the policy, the Taiwanese government believes that the most important task at present is to stabilize industries and continue negotiations with the U.S., ensuring fair treatment for the industry. Regarding specific negotiation strategies, informed sources emphasized that negotiations should be a continuous interactive process between both parties, avoiding public disclosure of details.

In his speech, Trump reiterated that Taiwan benefits from the U.S. chip and semiconductor industries, pointing out that the U.S. has almost lost everything in these areas. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce stated that the new round of tariff measures does not include semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, but Trump plans to explore how to bring back these critical industries, including the highly Taiwan-dependent semiconductor manufacturing sector, to the U.S. He stressed that long-term foreign dependence has caused the U.S. to lose its electronic manufacturing capability and questioned why these products need to be produced in Taiwan and China, noting that they could be produced in the U.S. through robotic automation.

According to data from the Semiconductor Industry Association, 92% of the world's most advanced microchips are produced in Taiwan, while the U.S. has been trying to reduce its dependence on Taiwanese chip manufacturing. Last year, the U.S. President signed the CHIPS and Science Act aimed at providing billions of dollars to support the U.S. chip industry. The U.S. Department of Commerce also announced funding to support TSMC in establishing a chip factory in Arizona. However, experts analyze that TSMC will still produce its most advanced chips in Taiwan, and the Taiwanese authorities are unlikely to allow the construction of the most advanced factories in the U.S., unless delayed for several years, as these are strategic assets for Taiwan.

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