TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) was reportedly part of a delegation led by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) that traveled to the US for closed-door talks.
The meetings were conducted through “special channels,” the Financial Times reported on Friday. The delegation visited the US following the Trump administration’s announcement of global tariffs aimed at addressing trade deficits. Taiwan was hit with a 32% tariff on all goods exported to the US.
In terms of trade, Taiwan had two main objectives in trying to address the situation with the US, CNA cited a person familiar with the matter as saying. The first was to stabilize key industries vulnerable to trade friction—such as semiconductors, electronics, and machinery—to prevent ripple effects that could undermine Taiwan’s economy.
The second goal was to maintain sustained engagement with the US and push for more favorable terms through expanded and intensified policy proposals, according to CNA.
Taiwan’s chief trade negotiator, Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), said Taiwan is approaching dialogue with a focus on the complementary aspects of US-Taiwan industry ties.
Yang highlighted several key points in bilateral trade:
- Taiwan’s investments in US-based high-tech industries as evidence of goodwill and economic integration.
- Taiwan purchases US raw materials and agricultural goods, including regular procurement missions that support American farmers.
- The existence of a US agricultural trade surplus with Taiwan.
This situation reflects the complexity of Taiwan-US relations, which are shaped by geopolitical considerations, industrial strategies, and the evolving global supply chain landscape, Yang said.
