The former president said stronger international partnerships would help Taiwan withstand mounting military, cyber and economic pressure while reinforcing democratic resilience….repots Asian Lite News Desk
Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called for deeper international cooperation with Taiwan, saying stronger partnerships would reinforce the island’s security while contributing to stability in the Indo-Pacific and the resilience of democracies. Speaking at Stanford DEFCON 2026, Tsai also highlighted Taiwan’s importance to global technology, semiconductor and manufacturing supply chains. Focus Taiwan – CNA English News
San Francisco, October 8 (ANI): Tsai, speaking at Stanford University’s annual conference on technology and national security, said technology and economic resilience were increasingly connected to national security.
In a speech titled “Building Security Together: Taiwan’s Role in Global Stability”, she said maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific, where military power, technology and economic security intersect, remained one of the major challenges facing the world.
Tsai said Chinese military aircraft and ships, as well as coast guard vessels, regularly operate around Taiwan. She also pointed to cyberattacks, cognitive warfare, information manipulation and economic coercion as pressures that Taiwan faces on an almost daily basis. Focus Taiwan – CNA English News
She said Taiwan needed to go beyond preparing for a major military contingency while continuing to strengthen its ability to defend itself and preserve its freedom.
“The Taiwan Strait is one of the world’s most important trade and energy routes, and Taiwan is deeply integrated into global technology and manufacturing networks,” she said. “A serious disruption would be felt throughout the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
Tsai said international coverage often portrays Taiwan primarily as a security challenge requiring support from other countries, but argued that this represented only part of the picture.
She pointed to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and its role in global technology supply chains, saying the island was among a small number of democracies capable of adding manufacturing capacity rather than simply consuming it.
Noting that the US accounts for about three-quarters of the world’s artificial intelligence computing capacity, Tsai said Taiwanese companies manufacture nearly all of the advanced accelerators used in those systems and around 90 per cent of the AI servers built around them.
“The AI economy, therefore, depends heavily on what Taiwan builds, and our contribution extends well beyond semiconductors,” she said.
Tsai also highlighted Taiwan’s role in the satellite industry, saying Taiwanese companies are major producers of radio-frequency chips and circuit boards used in communications and satellite systems.
She said these capabilities were becoming increasingly relevant to security as the distinction between civilian and defence technologies became less clear.
Tsai also pointed to Taiwan’s position at the centre of the first island chain, alongside its democratic system, technological capabilities and industrial strength, as factors contributing to its role in the region.
“A secure and resilient Taiwan contributes to a more stable Indo-Pacific, while its technological and industrial strengths reinforce trusted supply chains and reduce vulnerabilities far beyond the region,” she said.
“Deeper cooperation with Taiwan, therefore, strengthens not only Taiwan’s own security but also the stability of the Indo-Pacific and the resilience of the wider democratic community,” she added.
Following her speech, Tsai took part in a fireside chat moderated by Stanford DEFCON Co-President Gordon Kim and attended by Taiwanese students studying in the US. Focus Taiwan – CNA English News
Tsai arrived in San Francisco on Monday for a week-long visit, her first trip to the US since she completed two four-year terms as Taiwan’s president in May 2024. Focus Taiwan – CNA English News
Her Stanford appearance was also part of her broader visit focused on technology, democracy, resilience and global security. She is scheduled to participate in a Hoover Institution forum on democracy, resilience and global security during the visit. Focus Taiwan – CNA English News
