Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s pledge to support Washington’s re-industrialisation drive and “help make America great again” has reignited debate over how far Taipei should go in aligning with US objectives.
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Lawmakers, scholars and business leaders have warned that excessive reliance on Washington could hollow out Taiwan’s industrial base and weaken its geopolitical leverage, underscoring the Lai administration’s delicate balancing act in a shifting global order.
Lai expressed support for closer cooperation with Washington on the global semiconductor and AI supply chain during a radio interview with American conservative commentator Buck Sexton.
Lai said Taiwan “wants to help the United States reindustrialise and become a global AI hub” so that America can continue to lead in the new AI era.
“We want to help make America great again,” he said, explaining why his government supported leading chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s investments in the US, Japan and Germany.
“In the future, when the United States has re-industrialised and become a global AI hub, I am sure that TSMC will continue to play a crucial role,” Lai added.
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The interview, conducted during Sexton’s visit to Taiwan late last month and broadcast on Tuesday, covered the island’s pivotal role in global AI, rising cross-strait tensions, and the future of US-Taiwan cooperation.