Lai urges Europe to sign investment, tax agreements with Taiwan

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday called on European countries to pursue investment and double-taxation agreements with Taiwan, highlighting growing bilateral investment and opportunities to deepen cooperation in semiconductors and other technologies.

Speaking at the EU Investment Forum in Taipei, Lai said Taiwanese investment in the European Union had surged 650 percent over the past decade compared with the previous 10 years, while bilateral trade reached nearly US$75 billion last year.

"Taiwanese companies are not just focused on individual investment projects. More and more, they're taking an integrated approach to investment in Europe, with a longer time frame and larger scale," Lai said.

He welcomed the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association's (TEEMA) recent announcement that it would establish a technology park in Poland, saying the project would make it easier for Taiwanese companies to invest in the EU and cooperate with local industries.

Lai urged European countries to promote agreements on double taxation and investment with Taiwan, saying they would help unlock greater investment and industrial cooperation.

His remarks came as Taiwan and the EU seek to expand cooperation beyond semiconductor trade and build more resilient technology supply chains.

Lutz Güllner, head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan, said the growing European presence at SEMICON Taiwan 2026 reflected a relationship that was becoming more interconnected, technological and broader.

"The ambition is much bigger" than simply buying and selling more semiconductors, Güllner said, adding that Taiwan and the EU aim to build ecosystems together by linking research, design, manufacturing and applications.

Güllner said Taiwan's strengths in semiconductor manufacturing, design, packaging, materials and equipment complemented Europe's capabilities in research and technology, as well as its strengths in industries including automotive, energy, telecommunications, health care and aerospace.

He said the European Commission's proposed Chips Act 2.0, announced in June, would create new opportunities for cooperation with Taiwan.

Lai said combining their respective strengths could help Taiwan and Europe build a more secure, diverse and resilient semiconductor ecosystem.