Foreign Minister Lin Chia-Lung (林佳龍) described Taiwan as the tipping point in the balance of world power and stressed the need for establishing a "democratic supply chain." The statement was made during an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia on Tuesday, his first since taking office in May last year.
During the interview, Lin said that China’s rise challenges rules-based international order, positioning Taiwan as the tipping point. He pointed out, however, that Taiwan is not a pawn caught in the middle. Lin says that Taiwan is a key player, and hopes like-minded countries will strengthen cooperation with Taiwan to counter China’s authoritarian expansionism. He says that China has already launched a "hybrid war," combining legal tactics to undermine Taiwan’s international presence, psychological and smear campaigns, as well as military harassment through repeated incursions and large-scale drills. He noted that China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Digital Silk Road aim to exert influence over the economic and information security of numerous countries. As such, a non-China supply chain option is needed, and Taiwan can be one of those options.
Lin highlighted the growing international support for Taiwan as aligning with many countries’ national interests, and advocated for the formation of a “democratic supply chain” with like-minded nations such as the U.S., Japan, and the EU, focusing on areas like semiconductors and cybersecurity. A necessary measure, Lin says, to counter Chinese suppliers.