San Francisco, Sept. 20 (CNA) Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) presidential nominee Hou Yu-ih (???) told a Silicon Valley event Wednesday that Taiwan would emulate the U.S.’ “friend-shoring” policy to reduce reliance on China-based production.
At a forum in Foster City, California, Hou described getting Taiwan-headquartered businesses to move their production away to friendlier nations as a “matter of national security.”
The New Taipei mayor gave Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) facilities in Europe, Japan and America as one example of so-called “friend shoring,” the practice of shifting supply chains to democratic nations.
According to Hou, such diversification had allowed Taiwanese firms to reduce their “over-reliance on Mainland China.”
Hou, who is visiting the Silicon Valley area at the end of an eight-day tour of the United States, said that during a previous stop in Washington D.C., U.S. politicians and think tank experts had expressed concerns over national security and Taiwan-China issues.
However, Hou noted that they had been equally interested in Taiwan’s world-renowned high-tech semiconductor industry and how the sector would respond to changing global conditions.
The KMT presidential nominee added that he would work closely with Silicon Valley to promote Taiwan’s high-tech industry if elected.
Also in attendance at Wednesday’s forum was California State Assemblyman Evan Low (???), who told CNA it was important for his state and Taiwan to strengthen ties on issues of democracy, semiconductors, marriage equality and education.
Following the forum, Hou, who made earlier stops in New York and New Jersey, visited San Francisco’s Chinatown to pay his respects at a monument in St. Mary’s Park to KMT founder Sun Yat-Sen (???), before attending a dinner party to meet with around 500 U.S.-based supporters.
Hou’s U.S. trip, from which he is scheduled to return at 5:25 a.m. Friday Taipei time, has been described by his campaign office as a “journey of dialogue and deepening friendship.”
It has been a longstanding practice for Taiwanese presidential candidates to visit the U.S. before elections, with Taiwan People’s Party nominee Ko Wen-je (???) and ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Vice President Lai Ching-te (???) making the journey stateside earlier this year.
