TAIWANESE EXECS JOIN TALKS WITH U.S. ON AUTO CHIP SUPPLY

More than 30 local business leaders will take part in virtual discussions between Taiwan and the United States on the issue of automotive semiconductor chips, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

The talks will be held under the Taiwan-US Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, which was established last year, and will aim to address the current semiconductor shortage that has severely hampered major global automakers, including Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota and Nissan, Liang Pei-chih and Matthew Mazzetta reported.

Speaking to the media Thursday, Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua said she and Deputy Economics Minister Chen Chern-chyi will lead the talks on the Taiwan side and they will be joined by more than 30 Taiwanese business representatives. Officials from the MOEA's industrial development and foreign trade bureaus will also participate, she said.

Wang, however, declined to name the participants on the US side, saying that a full summary would be made available to the press after the meeting.

The agenda will focus on supply chain cooperation and development goals in the semiconductor industry, including strategies for addressing the current automotive chip shortage, Wang said.

Taiwan and the US are also planning other meetings to discuss supply chains in the areas of 5G, electric cars and healthcare, but have not yet confirmed the dates, she said.

On the question of whether Taiwan would seek to "trade chips for COVID-19 vaccines" in the upcoming meeting, Wang said chip supply and vaccine purchases are relevant to the discussion, as they both fall under the heading of "business activities."s

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