Foreign Minister Lin Jialong was invited by the Polish think tank "Casimir Pulaski Foundation" to deliver a special speech on the 13th at the 13th "Warsaw Security Forum" titled "Taiwan Model: Europe's Trustworthy Partner for Reindustrialization", emphasizing that Taiwan is Europe's most trustworthy democratic partner in promoting reindustrialization and maintaining economic security. Lin Jialong bluntly said that Europe has paid a heavy price and realized that it cannot rely on Russian energy; now, Europe must realize that it cannot rely on China's manufacturing industry before the price becomes higher.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release today (14th) stating that this was the second time that our foreign minister was invited to deliver a special speech after his first public speech at the forum last year. The attendees included more than 100 political figures from Poland and other countries with similar ideas, academia, civil society representatives and the media.
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Lin Jialong said in his speech that to understand why the Taiwan-EU partnership is so important, we must face up to the three major challenges of security, economy and technology. He pointed out that Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine shattered the illusion that peace could be taken for granted. "What is happening in Ukraine is related to the security of Warsaw, Berlin, and Paris—in fact, it is also related to the security of Taipei."
Lin Jialong said that Europe is also facing what economists call "China Shock 2.0." A large number of state-subsidized electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, and steel are sold at prices below cost in an attempt to seize the market, crush competitors, and make Europe fall into dependence. "This is not a comparative advantage, but a weaponization of industrial power to deal with European labor, factories, and society."
He emphasized that Europe, like many countries, cannot cope with these challenges alone, nor can it rely on countries that want Europe to weaken; supply security, technological security, and value security are the real pillars of what Europe calls "strategic autonomy." "But strategic autonomy does not mean isolation, but the freedom to choose partners and make choices wisely."
Lin Jialong pointed out that Taiwan is at the core of the world's most advanced supply chain, and most of the world's most advanced semiconductors are manufactured in Taiwan. "Our advantage is not a threat to Europe, but complements Europe's advantages." Europe leads in the fields of industrial machinery, automotive engineering, chemical engineering and design, while Taiwan can provide chips, components and manufacturing ecosystems.
"Taiwan not only provides technology and expertise, we provide trust." Lin Jialong said that Taiwan and Europe share the most important values such as democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law. This is the essence of the Taiwan model - building trust with shared values; promoting technological innovation based on the rule of law; respecting human rights and protecting the environment; and pursuing mutual benefit and common prosperity under the principles of free and open markets.
For example, he cited TSMC's investment in Germany to bring advanced chip manufacturing into the heart of the European industry; Global Crystal's investment in Italy to strengthen Europe's foundation in semiconductor materials; and Hon Hai's investment in advanced packaging in France. "The purpose of each case is the same: to be a partner, not a replacement." He said that Taiwan's investment is not to hollow out European industries, but to build together with European industries.
Lin Jialong also compared the Taiwan model with the "China model", pointing out that the Chinese model does not abide by the rules of the world trading system, but relies on huge state subsidies and unfair non-market actions to cut prices to suppress and defeat European competitors. "Its goal is not mutual benefit, but domination - to make Europe fall into dependence, control the European market, and ultimately reduce the entire European continent to an economic vassal."
He warned that since China's authoritarian ideology is fundamentally incompatible with European democracy, relying on China is not only an economic risk, but also a threat to European freedom and sovereignty. "A Europe whose supply chain is controlled by others is a Europe that has surrendered some of its freedoms."
Lin Jialong said that Taiwan understands this dilemma better than any other country because Taiwan lives under such threats every day and defends national security with firm determination. At the same time, it has established an economic and technological foundation that cannot be controlled or hijacked by Beijing. "This is why Taiwan and Europe are natural partners: we face the same pressures and are determined to respond in the same way."
As for why Poland, Lin Jialong pointed out that Europe's important industrial centers - France, Germany and Poland in the Weimar Triangle - are facing the same severe test: in terms of national defense, it is the threat of Russia; in terms of economic security, it is the impact of China. "These are not two independent dangers, but two aspects of the same challenge facing European freedom and prosperity."
He said that Taiwan is promoting the plan to establish a TEEMA (Taiwan Electrical and Electronics Industry Association) technology park in Poland to bring Taiwan's industrial strength and complete ecosystem into the industrial heartland of Europe. He hopes to use the Taiwan model to support Europe's development in the fields of electric vehicles, smart cities and AI. "This will become the basis for Taiwan's participation in Europe's reconstruction of Ukraine - turning common values into common reconstruction."
Lin Jialong said in his conclusion, "AI is an industrial revolution of historic scale, and the core of this revolution is in Taiwan." Europe's reindustrialization should not just restore past industries, but must build future industries, which is a reindustrialization driven by AI.
He said that in the two and a half years since he became foreign minister, he has visited Europe eight times, and each visit has witnessed the closer partnership between Taiwan and Europe. "Taiwan is not asking Europe to replace one dependence with another; we stand with Europe as a partner that Europe can truly trust."
