Lai Ching-te: Taiwan’s Semiconductor Strength Is Building New Industry Links Worldwide

Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is no longer defined only by what it produces at home. President Lai Ching-te said its capabilities are now creating new industrial connections across the world, linking countries and companies in research, manufacturing and supply chains.

Speaking at the 2026 Crystal Chain Summit in Taipei, Lai presented trust, resilience and shared prosperity as the principles for cooperation during the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. He said global technology companies need reliable partners, while Taiwan has the capacity to make the world’s most advanced wafers.

Lai described the semiconductor industry as a network that stretches from integrated circuits and equipment to materials, advanced manufacturing, packaging and testing. Every stage requires investment from different countries and companies, he said. Taiwan’s own rise, in his account, resulted from decades of global division of labor and cooperation, supported by a comprehensive semiconductor cluster and fast, flexible and efficient manufacturing.

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Taiwan’s semiconductor strength is forming new industrial connections in different parts of the world.

He pointed to expanding international investment. Micron’s cumulative investment in Taiwan has exceeded NT$1.4 trillion, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. announced an additional US$100 billion investment in Arizona in early July, bringing its total U.S. investment to US$265 billion. TSMC’s investment in Japan is progressing, and its Dresden wafer plant in Germany is expected to begin production by the end of next year.

Lai said these connections could help countries contribute their strengths, support one another during disruption and spread risk. He also cited first-half economic growth of 14.15%, a projected full-year rate of 11.05%, and plans to provide each person NT$10,000 next year. The government is also promoting an advanced Taiwan program and 10 major AI infrastructure projects covering areas such as systems integration, quantum technology and AI robotics.

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We will work together with countries around the world to open cooperation with trust, accumulate resilience through cooperation, and create shared prosperity through resilience.