TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Chun Lee (李淳) said there are more reasons to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty than just semiconductors.

Speaking to the Belgian-published Dutch language outlet De Tijd, Lee said that countries should assist Taiwan in the defense of democratic systems. “Even if we made sneakers, other countries should stand by our side,” he said.

“Due to Taiwan's strategic position as a chip producer, more countries are realizing that it is in everyone's interest to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait,” Chun said. He added that he hopes more countries will recognize Taiwan’s importance and support it, and that they discourage China from making “the worst possible decision.”

Lee said China is trying to put pressure on Taiwan to become Chinese and “is trying to win the game without fighting.”

When asked about the possibility of China blockading Taiwan, Lee said he doubts this would be successful. He questioned China’s ability to deal with the U.S. if it were to send naval forces to assist Taiwan.

“The most effective strategy for them may be to talk about a possible blockade without actually carrying one out,” Lee said. “It already causes uncertainty, and military intimidation lends credibility to the threat.”

Despite that, Lee said that Taiwan must prepare for the worst-case scenario; that military intimidation becomes a military blockade, and a military blockade becomes a military conflict. “And we have to assume that no one will come to help Taiwan,“ he said.

“From that point of view, we are making preparations such as expanding conscription, re-evaluating strategic conditions, and drawing up schedules for mobilization.” Lee said it is important to build a public consensus that Taiwan is doing everything it can to avoid a conflict, and that preparation is the best way to achieve this.

A TSMC production facility in the U.S. under construction. (CNA photo)

Lee dismissed the notion that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) decision to move some manufacturing offshore was weakening the nation's so-called “silicon shield,” but did say that Chinese competition in the low-end chip market may affect it. Lee said that when all of TSMC's foreign factories are complete, 85-87% of the company’s output will still be made in Taiwan.

“Taiwan's silicone shield may be a temporary phenomenon, but as long as it is there, it contributes to avoiding conflict,” he said.

“Taiwan remains the global hub for TSMC, especially for research and development. We have seen the same thing with Foxconn, which made everything in Taiwan 30 years ago, and now nothing. That experience inspires confidence,” Lee said.

Lee also spoke about Taiwan’s competitiveness in the tech sector internationally, and said that it would take at least 30 years for other countries to match Taiwan. He said the competitiveness was as much about Taiwan’s people as its technology.

Taiwan has an army of people trained in science and technology that work hard in what Europeans and Americans would call “difficult circumstances,” Lee said. “For example, they can't go to the toilet for seven hours because it takes an hour to get dressed and undressed for cleanrooms,” he said.

When asked about international firms’ concerns about a possible conflict in Taiwan, Lee said that companies are reviewing their investments, but data has shown firms are yet to take action. He referenced long term investments in offshore wind that he said only became profitable in at least 20 years.

“They make predictions of at least that term,” Lee said. “So yes, they are reviewing the situation, but at the moment there is no impact.”