TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) met with former U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger on Monday (Feb. 17) to discuss strengthening Taiwan's self-defense capabilities and enhancing partnerships with the U.S. They aim to establish a "non-red supply chain" amid increasing authoritarian cooperation.
Lai emphasized the shared belief between Taiwan and the U.S. that strength is key to achieving peace. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration in the security, trade, and energy sectors.
Pottinger praised Lai's recent commitment to raising Taiwan's defense budget to more than 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP, 國內生產毛額), calling it a promising start to bolstering deterrence.
Commercial Times (工商時報) quoted a senior national security official as saying, "Taiwan and the U.S. are not in a competitive relationship."
The anonymous official in the report cited examples like GlobalWafers Co., Ltd's (環球晶) US$4 billion investment in the U.S. and United Microelectronics Corporation's (UMC, 聯電) collaboration with major American tech companies, stating that discussions between Taiwan and the U.S. must align with Taiwan's core interests.
