President Lai Ching-te (second row, seventh right) is joined by members of the International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program and the Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program Jan. 26 at the President Office in Taipei City. (Courtesy of PO)
 

President Lai Ching-te said Jan. 26 that government promotion of the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative will continue in its mission to connect the younger generation with the world.

Lai made the remarks while receiving International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program and the Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program members at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. He thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture for organizing the programs.

According to Lai, more than 2,000 youth ambassadors and NSP agricultural ambassadors visited other countries over the past decade. He cited the example of agricultural ambassadors from Taiwan Indigenous tribes visiting Australia last year. Australia has a rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ culture and was later developed as an agricultural power; both Indigenous culture and agriculture are aspects that resonate with Taiwan and inform diplomacy.

The programs enable Taiwan youth to contribute and participate internationally by showcasing the country’s agricultural soft power and technology prowess, the president said. The visits are a model of youthful facilitation of public diplomacy initiatives and reaffirm Lai’s belief in the capability of the next generation as contributing a bright future to the country, he added.

Over 1,400 young people took part in the initiative last year and Lai announced that the scale of the program will be expanded this year. There will be wider opportunity under the scheme for rural, disadvantaged and Indigenous youth to participate, he said.

The government continues to integrate resources from ministries and agencies to raise Taiwan’s international profile and offer Taiwanese youth the opportunity to contribute to other countries, the president said. He encouraged the young people present to work with the government to contribute to Taiwan’s future as Team Taiwan. (YCH-E)

President Lai Ching-te (front, center) gives the thumbs-up sign with members of the National Importers and Exporters Chamber of Commerce of Taiwan Dec. 5 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. (Courtesy of PO)
 

President Lai Ching-te said Jan. 5 that the government is committed to supporting domestic industries to increase competitiveness in the global market.

Lai made the remarks while receiving members of the Taipei City-based National Importers and Exporters Chamber of Commerce of Taiwan (NIECT) at the Presidential Office in Taipei City and also thanked the NIECT for acting as a bridge between the public and private sectors.

The president praised Taiwan’s economic performance, citing anticipated economic growth of 7.37 percent in 2025. Exports hit a record high at nearly US$578.5 billion as of last November, resulting from increased global demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, he said, adding that these all demonstrate significant industrial competitiveness and a key role in global supply chains.

The government will continue to support domestic industry to weather global challenges such as the U.S. tariffs, geopolitical risk and global supply chain restructuring. In addition to the government’s ongoing Three Major Programs for Investing in Taiwan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has allocated NT$46 billion (US$1.46 billion) to an export supply chain support program providing research and development transformation subsidies, export loans and credit guarantees, among other business assistance. The president added that a NT$11.6 billion diversified revitalization and development program will also help micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises promote digital and net-zero transition while expanding distribution channels.

The government will continue to deepen international economic and trade cooperation to facilitate expansion to diverse global markets, Lai said, adding that the authorities will also communicate with the private sector on policy drafting to address its needs. He concluded by emphasizing commitment to working in tandem with enterprises to seize business opportunities and further entrench the country in global supply chain systems. (YCH-E)

President Lai Ching-te (center) is joined by officials at the launch ceremony for a new cloud computing center Dec. 12 in Tainan City. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)
 

President Lai Ching-te spoke at the opening of a new national cloud computing center Dec. 12 in Tainan City, calling it a crucial step on Taiwan’s road to becoming a smart country.

Lai elaborated on the Executive Yuan’s Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects initiative in his speech at the event, noting that the initiative entails establishing infrastructure such as the center and an artificial intelligence data hub. The president added that the government will invest over NT$100 billion (US$3.2 billion) by 2040 to enable the creation of 500,000 jobs and generation of NT$15 trillion in production value.

The launch of the center is of high importance to this endeavor, Lai said, noting that it is equipped with a supercomputer developed by the National Center for High-Performance Computing, in addition to advanced energy-saving technology and an earthquake-resistant design. He added that an AI data center will be established in Tainan to give southern Taiwan a combined computational power of 23 megawatts.

The president said that the center would facilitate public-private cooperation in enhancing enterprises’ global competitiveness and raising the country’s resilience. He added that the center also has a highly strategic value for Taiwan as it is connected to high-speed optical fiber links and undersea cable landing stations, which are intended to boost the country’s digital resilience, safeguard its online security and serve as a remote communications backup.

Lai additionally announced that the NCHC will work with Chunghwa Telecom Co. and Japan’s NTT Inc. to reduce energy consumption and enhance transmission speed through an optical wavelength network. He pledged to create more job opportunities for young people in such venues as the technology corridors in southern Taiwan. (YCH-E)