Lai urges deeper Taiwan-U.S. ties, 'non-red' supply chain cooperation

Taipei, May 28 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday reiterated Taiwan's commitment to deepening economic ties with the United States, highlighting the island's desire to work with Washington in building a "non-red" supply chain.

During a meeting with a U.S. congressional delegation in Taipei, Lai said Taiwan would continue to purchase American goods, including energy, agricultural and industrial products and even military equipment.

Such purchases would help balance bilateral trade between the two sides and bolster Taiwan's economic security, Lai said, clearly trying to signal his government's desire to meet the demands of the Trump administration in ongoing negotiations over the threat of tariffs.

Speaking with the delegation led by House of Representatives member Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Lai emphasized Taiwan's willingness to play a role in supporting U.S. efforts to re-industrialize and become a global leader in artificial intelligence.

He said Taiwan hopes to strengthen industrial cooperation with the U.S. and jointly develop a "non-red" supply chain, referring to manufacturing networks free from Chinese influence.

Westerman, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, said his delegation was keenly interested in the outcome of trade negotiations over tariffs between Taipei and Washington and expressed optimism about expanding future collaboration.

The trade talks followed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement in early April that his administration would impose "reciprocal" tariffs on imports from about 185 countries and territories, including a blanket 32 percent levy on Taiwanese goods.

Trump later suspended the tariffs for 90 days and instead imposed a reduced 10 percent duty on most imports, giving countries time to negotiate settlements.

Joining Westerman at the meeting in the Presidential Office were House members Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Celeste Maloy (R-UT) and Nick Begich (R-AK), all of whom are also members of the House Natural Resources Committee.

The delegation arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday and is scheduled to conclude its visit on Thursday.