Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung pressed European allies yesterday to forge dependable AI and drone supply chains with Taiwan, framing the partnership as critical for both economic resilience and national security.
Speaking before the Formosa Club’s annual gathering in Taipei, Lin positioned Taiwan’s semiconductor, AI server, and drone manufacturing capabilities as natural complements to Europe’s precision engineering and industrial technology base.
“These require trusted partners because they directly involve national security and critical infrastructure,” Lin told the assembly of pro-Taiwan European lawmakers.
Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine offered a stark lesson, Lin said, showing how economic dependency can harden into a weapon of coercion. Taiwan, by contrast, stands ready as a partner anchored in trust and democratic principles.
The minister detailed Taiwan’s ongoing effort to construct a full drone ecosystem: hardware, critical components, and cybersecurity standards all developed domestically.
Citing a concrete example of industrial collaboration, Lin referenced a technology park proposed in Poland by the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association. That project would prioritize AI data centers, smart city infrastructure, and electric vehicle production.
Lin described economic cooperation as one pillar of Taiwan’s integrated diplomacy, working alongside partnerships with fellow democracies.
He also urged like-minded nations to push back collectively against transnational repression. China, he charged, deploys domestic statutes to extend legal jurisdiction beyond its borders and chill free expression globally.
“No country should be allowed to apply domestic law as an instrument for exporting a chilling effect beyond its own borders,” Lin said.
European Parliament member Michael Gahler, chairing the conference, urged that parliamentary goodwill toward Taiwan evolve into institutionalized government-level cooperation.
He called for arrangements that ease two-way investment, arguing the substance of such deals matters more than labels like bilateral investment agreements. Europe could deepen practical engagement with Taiwan while preserving its “one China” policies, Gahler added, drawing a line between those policies and Beijing’s “one China” principle.
Democracies need coordinated strategies for confronting prolonged threats from Russia and China: war, hybrid warfare, and economic coercion, he said.
The foreign ministry and the Formosa Club, established in 2019, plan a joint forum Tuesday focused on Taiwan-Europe cooperation in AI and drone technology.
