Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said during a recent European visit that European countries should strengthen economic ties with Taiwan if they want Taiwan's semiconductor companies to continue investing in chip production facilities in Europe.
Wu noted that overseas investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, require government approval, including for a potential new factory in Germany.
Wu said the Taiwanese government does not place conditions on TSMC's investments and it is up to the company to decide if a project will be profitable. However, he implied that countries wanting Taiwanese chip investments should also consider broader ties with Taiwan.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and Wu called on European leaders to clearly support peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. He said the EU should consider more cooperation with Taiwan, such as negotiating a bilateral investment agreement.
The EU included Taiwan on its list of potential investment agreement partners in 2015 but has not held talks with Taiwan since. Wu said he hopes the EU will reconsider negotiating an investment agreement with Taiwan.
