US support for Taiwan remains 'very strong,' Taiwanese official says
Support from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration for Taiwan remains "very strong" and Taiwan is looking at more purchases from the country, including LNG, to help balance trade, a senior Taiwan security official said on Thursday.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Taiwan for taking U.S. semiconductor business, saying he wants the industry to re-base to the United States.
He has also threatened broad import tariffs on countries which have unbalanced trade with the United States, which could affect Taiwan, given the large trade surplus it runs.
Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Taipei, Joseph Wu, head of Taiwan's National Security Council, said the island had many friends in the new administration, especially in the security and defence apparatus.
"The Trump administration support for Taiwan remains very strong," he said. "I think Taiwan is in a good position."
Asked about Trump's comments on chips, Wu said that Taiwan's TSMC, the dominant maker of advanced semiconductors, started from scratch.
"We didn't steal anything from anybody. Taiwan has been very honest in doing business with the international community," he said.
Taiwan runs a large trade surplus with the United States, which surged 83% last year, with the island's exports to the U.S. hitting a record $111.4 billion, driven by demand for high-tech products such as semiconductors.
Taiwan is discussing what else it can buy from the United States, Wu said.
"If the United States has a very good product Taiwan happens to need, then it will be (among) the items that we will be thinking about," he added.
Liquefied natural gas, of LNG, is one area the government is already considering, especially from Alaska, though most of Taiwan's supplies at present come from Qatar and Australia.
Wu said U.S. LNG was very high quality, but coming from existing suppliers Texas and Louisiana, it took longer to reach Taiwan given it had to go via the Panama Canal.
"If Alaska starts producing LNG in big numbers, that will be a very good time for us to buy more and we are in discussion with Alaska now," he said, without giving details.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
11 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Cambodia-Thailand clashes resume despite ceasefire call
Shafaq News – Bangkok/Phnom Penh Fresh clashes erupted along the Cambodia–Thailand border on Sunday, just hours after US President Donald Trump claimed both nations had agreed to pursue a ceasefire. Cambodia's Defense Ministry accused Thai forces of shelling temple areas near Phnom Kmoach in Trat province, while Thailand alleged Cambodian troops targeted civilians in overnight artillery strikes. The escalation has killed more than 30—mostly civilians—and displaced over 130,000 since fighting began on July 24. Trump announced on Truth Social late Saturday that he secured verbal pledges from both countries' prime ministers to meet 'immediately' for truce talks, asserting that 'both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace.' Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet backed the initiative, urging an unconditional ceasefire and endorsing a prior Malaysian peace proposal. In turn, Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai responded cautiously, agreeing 'in principle' but demanding proof of Cambodia's sincerity before committing to talks. The conflict was reignited by a fatal May 28 border clash that killed a Cambodian soldier near the disputed Preah Vihear temple area. Although the International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962, ownership of the surrounding land remains contested and has fueled repeated outbreaks of violence, including a deadly flare-up in 2011.
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Shafaq News
Obstacle to solution: US, Israel accuse Hamas
Shafaq News – Middle East On Friday, US President Donald Trump accused Hamas of 'deliberately obstructing' efforts to secure a ceasefire and release hostages in the Gaza Strip, claiming the group has 'no real intention of reaching an agreement.' 'Hamas didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die,' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'We're now at the final stage of the hostage situation. They know what comes next once the remaining hostages are recovered, and that's exactly why they pulled back.' 🚨WATCH: President Trump: on Hams and Gaza: "They pulled out in terms of negotiating. It was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die." — Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) July 25, 2025 His remarks followed the announcement by US Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff that the Trump administration had recalled its negotiating team for internal consultations in response to Hamas' latest position. We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good… — Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) July 24, 2025 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel is working with its US partners to explore alternative strategies for recovering the hostages held by Hamas. He backed Witkoff's assessment, branding Hamas as 'the main obstacle' to any breakthrough in the talks. Netanyahu also underscored that the broader objective extends beyond hostage recovery, aiming to dismantle Hamas' control over Gaza and establish lasting regional stability. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff got it right. Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal. Together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas's terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and… — Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 25, 2025 Earlier, Hamas accused US mediators of reversing their commitments and confirmed it had delivered its response—alongside those of other Palestinian factions—to the proposed ceasefire framework. The group stressed that it remains engaged in negotiations and is pushing for a resolution that brings the war to an end.
Iraqi News
2 days ago
- Iraqi News
Asian markets turn lower as trade war rally fades
Hong Kong – Asian stocks fell Friday as their latest rally ran out of legs, with sentiment weighed by strong US jobs data that saw investors row back their expectations for interest rate cuts. With Japan's trade deal with Washington out of the way for now, attention was also turning to European Union attempts to reach an agreement to pare down Donald Trump's threatened tariffs before next Friday's deadline. Equities have enjoyed a strong run-up for much of July on expectations governments will hammer out pacts, pushing some markets past or close to record highs. However, while Wall Street hit new records Thursday — S&P 500 chalked up its 10th in 19 sessions — another round of strong jobs data suggested the Federal Reserve might have to wait longer than hoped to cut borrowing costs. The 217,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits in the week to July 19 was the lowest since mid-April and suggested the labour market remains tight. The figures followed forecast-topping non-farm payrolls in June and come as inflation shows signs of picking up as Trump's tariffs begin to bite. Traders are now betting on 42 basis points of rate cuts by the end of the year, according to Bloomberg News. That's down from more than 50 previously. Meanwhile, a manufacturing survey showed US business confidence deteriorated in July for the second successive month, with companies worried about tariffs and cuts to federal spending. Trump continued to press Fed chief Jerome Powell to slash interest rates during a visit to its headquarters on Thursday, where they bickered over its renovation cost. The president, who wants to oust Powell over his refusal to cut, took a fresh dig during the trip, telling reporters: 'As good as we're doing, we'd do better if we had lower interest rates.' Trump's anger at the Fed and his calls for officials to lower rates has raised concerns about the independence of the central bank. 'While unlikely to yield anything concrete, the optics of a president storming the temple of monetary orthodoxy is enough to put Powell watchers on edge,' said SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes. 'The risk isn't immediate policy change — it's longer-term erosion of independence, and the signal that Powell may not be sitting as comfortably as markets assume.' Trade hopes remain elevated, with Brussels and Washington appearing close to a deal that would halve Trump's threatened 30 percent levy, with a European Commission spokesman saying he believed an agreement was 'within reach'. The bloc, however, is still forging ahead with contingency plans in case talks fail, with member states approving a 93-billion-euro ($109-billion) package of counter-tariffs. With few positive catalysts to drive buying, Asian markets turned lower heading into the weekend. Tokyo dipped after putting on around five percent in the previous two days, while Hong Kong retreated following five days of gains. There were also losses in Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Manila and Jakarta. Seoul and Wellington edged up. The dollar extended gains against its peers as investors pared their rate forecasts. – Key figures at around 0230 GMT – Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 41,570.24 (break) Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.7 percent at 25,487.95 Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 3,597.77 Dollar/yen: UP at 147.40 yen from 146.94 yen on Thursday Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1742 from $1.1756 Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3498 from $1.3507 Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.99 pence from 87.01 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.6 percent at $66.43 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.6 percent at $69.61 per barrel New York – Dow: DOWN 0.7 percent at 44,693.91 (close) London – FTSE 100: UP 0.9 percent at 9,138.37 (close)
