Jun Chen Zhong Ding spoke to The Associated Press during a visit this week to Washington, where he is leading a Taiwanese trade delegation and meeting with US trade officials.
Ding’s visit comes at a time when efforts are intensifying to strengthen the militaries and economies of the United States and Taiwan against any threat from China, the adversary of the two countries. As part of those efforts, President Joe Biden and Congress are working to boost semiconductor production on U.S. soil in the event of a conflict that would disrupt exports from Asia, particularly Taiwan.
Semiconductors enter electronics industries, from phones and electric cars to advanced weapons, and Taiwan produces more than 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors.
At the same time, Pentagon leaders are touring the Indo-Pacific region to rally regional allies in strengthening military defenses and deterrence.
Last month, a House of Representatives committee discussed a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan and US sites as part of a bipartisan congressional effort to find specific ways to bolster deterrence. .
Ding said Americans should view such efforts as ensuring that Chinese President Xi Jinping will never feel confident enough to invade Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.
Ding added, “We should avoid any exaggeration or rhetoric that does not reflect the real situation, and that creates fear…unnecessary fear.
He added that the American business community in Taiwan assures him that he continues to grow and hire. He cited the experienced workforce and supporting industries that Taiwan provides to semiconductor producers and to Google, Amazon and other US companies on its soil.
Relations between the United States and China have reached a height of tension in the past two years, as Xi’s government asserts China’s growing economic, diplomatic and military strength. This includes China’s assertion of its vast territorial claims in the region.
For its part, China accuses the United States of interfering in its internal affairs and pursuing a strategy of containment against China to prevent its rise.
Taiwan and China separated in 1949 after a civil war, and they have no formal relationship. They are linked by billions of dollars of trade and investment.
The Chinese Communist Party regularly sends fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan to enforce its position that the island is obliged to unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.
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