US-Taiwan ties ‘never been stronger’, says top diplomat in Taipei
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Taiwanese companies have been investing billions of dollars in the US.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- US-Taiwan relations are at their strongest, with deepening cooperation in high-tech and advanced manufacturing sectors.
- Taiwanese investments, including TSMC's US$265 billion in Arizona, are helping to re-industrialise the US.
- The US CHIPS Act supports reshoring semiconductor manufacturing to create American jobs and boost innovation for the future.
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TAIPEI – The US-Taiwan relationship has “never been stronger”, and Taiwan is helping to re-industrialise the US with its tech investments, the top American diplomat in Taipei said on Aug 31.
While the US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, it is the island’s most important international backer and arms supplier.
Taiwanese companies have been investing billions of dollars in the US, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s US$265 billion (S$337.4 billion) investment in the state of Arizona.
Speaking at an event ahead of this week’s SEMICON chip trade show in Taipei, to be attended by senior executives from companies including Microsoft and Google, Raymond Greene, the de facto US Ambassador to Taipei, praised bilateral relations.
“Our ties with Taiwan have never been stronger, especially as our cooperation deepens across high-tech and advanced manufacturing sectors,” he said, noting that 2025 marked a record-breaking period for Taiwan’s foreign direct investment in the US.
“Taiwan is helping to re-industrialise America, starting with investments in Arizona and Texas, and US companies are growing their tech partnerships by setting up operations in Hsinchu and Taipei,” he added, referring to Taiwan’s main semiconductor hub.
US President Donald Trump has on occasion criticised Taiwan for “stealing” American semiconductor business, a perception Taiwan's government says is unfair even as it has backed its companies to increase their US investments.
Speaking at the same event as Greene, a US Commerce Department official who oversees the government programme to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, called the Chips Act, said the plan is “securing American prosperity and innovation for decades to come”.
“President Trump and the administration are committed to not just reshoring semiconductor manufacturing but creating American jobs and building the careers that make our nation and people great,” said Bill Frauenhofer, executive director of semiconductor investment and innovation at Commerce. REUTERS
