Taiwan's representative to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), yesterday said that he and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent discussed supply chains and semiconductors during a meeting on the sidelines of the event in Gyeongju, South Korea.
Taiwan's exports to the US, except for semiconductors, are subject to a 20 percent tariff, although Taipei has been in talks to get the figure reduced.
Lin, a former economy minister, told reporters that the two discussed safe supply chains and tech cooperation during a 40-minute meeting, adding that Bessent was interested in hearing how Taiwan built its chip industry.
The two "had a very wide-ranging discussion, covering cooperation in technology, the security of supply chains and many other issues," Lin said.
"He said: 'I was really intrigued to hear how you built up your high-tech semiconductor cluster -- how it developed and the history behind it.' He listened with great interest," Lin added.
However, the discussion with Bessent did not touch much on ongoing tariff negotiations, according to the delegation, which provided no updates on the bilateral talks.
At a news conference summarizing his third APEC trip, Lin said that Taiwan attracted more attention at the summit than two decades ago, especially regarding its achievements in artificial intelligence (AI).
Lin said he engaged in exchanges with representatives and leaders from more than 10 countries, including Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, with further details to be announced later.
On Friday, Takaichi said she told Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) when they met on the sidelines of the summit that stability across the Taiwan Strait is key to the international community.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in a statement yesterday welcomed Takaichi's concerns over cross-strait stability, praising the Japanese government for "speaking what should be said."
However, Lin Hsin-i had no interactions with Xi during the two-day meeting, including when leaders and representatives posed for a group photograph yesterday.
He did not answer questions on whether he had talked to Xi.
Lin Hsin-i stood at the far right of the second row, while Xi stood near the center of the front row.
Asked to comment on the positions, Lin Hsin-i said the arrangement was natural, denying that President William Lai (賴清德) had instructed him to avoid contact with Xi or that South Korea deliberately placed him on the periphery.
"There were many people lining up," he said.
At last year's summit in Peru, Lin Hsin-yi greeted Xi with a wave, but they did not speak. Lin also met with then-US president Joe Biden in Lima.
This year's APEC summit focused on AI applications and related issues, as well as drastic demographic changes -- topics Lin Hsin-i said differed from the themes of economic cooperation and trade facilitation discussed at his first APEC meeting in Busan, South Korea, in 2005.
He cited Taiwan's deployment of AI-assisted decisionmaking during Typhoon Gaemi last year, saying that the model significantly enhanced the precision and accuracy of storm monitoring and helped the government mitigate damage.
"I think I have done my best to fulfill the three missions assigned to me by President Lai," he said, declining to commit to whether he would attend next year's summit.
"It is a tough task. No one wants to do it," he added, drawing laughter.
National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the summit on Wednesday, during which they exchanged "in-depth views on issues such as technology policy and AI development," the Taiwanese delegation said yesterday.
China is to host next year's APEC meet in Shenzhen.
China provided written assurances last year about the safety of participants in that summit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Jonathan Sun (孫儉元) told a news conference.
Taiwan has worked within the APEC framework "to ensure that China fulfils its commitments, so that the meetings can proceed smoothly and the safety of all participants is fully protected," he added.