NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed deep concerns about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) large-scale military expansion at a press conference in The Hague ahead of the summit. He stated, “We are very worried about the situation in Taiwan.” Experts point out that democratic countries are increasingly concerned about the peaceful situation in the Taiwan Strait because Taiwan’s security concerns international interests.
Rutte stressed that the alliance is closely monitoring the CCP’s massive military expansion, which is raising the possibility of CCP military aggression against Taiwan. NATO currently maintains close relationships with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand because these countries are extremely concerned about the CCP’s ongoing large-scale military buildup.
Lai Rongwei, CEO of the Taiwan Inspirational Association (TIA), told Epoch Times that Rutte’s warning about the seriousness of the CCP’s large-scale military expansion serves to urge not only the countries along the first, second, and third island chains but also the people of the European Union, NATO, and other democratic countries to pay close attention. The security of the Taiwan Strait involves the interests of many countries, and it is hoped that democratic countries worldwide will support peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Lai emphasized that Taiwan is a world technology island, with TSMC’s chips below 7nm accounting for 74% of the global market share, and below 3nm exceeding 90%. The manufacturing of high-tech chips is crucial for military radar and satellites. Taiwan also plays a significant role in the AI chip field with a leading global advantage.
He noted that for advanced countries seeking to develop into high-tech military powers, chip manufacturing technology must advance, and the performance of autonomous weapons controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) must also improve. Many countries globally need to place orders for chips in Taiwan, making Taiwan’s security a global concern, as a conflict in the Taiwan Strait would have serious implications.
Lai pointed out that the rest of the world aspires for autonomy in the technology supply chain and reduces reliance on Taiwan’s high-tech industry. However, this transition will take time since establishing an independent chip supply chain from upstream to downstream will require more than a decade and significant investment in technology and talent. Given budget constraints, many countries prefer buying chips from Taiwan to save costs.
Regarding Rutte’s attention to Taiwan’s security, Huang Renxun, CEO of Nvidia, also shares the concern. Knowing that a conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be disastrous, why does he increase investments in Taiwan? On one hand, he wishes to utilize local talent and benefit from Taiwan’s lower labor costs. On the other hand, by collaborating with TSMC, he can ensure AI technology confidentiality. Huang’s investments in Taiwan aim to draw global attention to Taiwan’s significance.
President of the Republic of China, Lai Ching-te, recently initiated the “Unity of the Nation in Ten Lectures” lecture series, where he highlighted Taiwan’s global rankings in IC design and packaging testing, stressing the importance of Taiwan’s contributions to global industry and technology. The G7 leaders affirmed the critical role of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in international security and prosperity, opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion.
In response to Rutte’s statements on Taiwan, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands strongly denounced and opposed the exaggeration of military threats by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the NATO Hague Summit, asserting that Taiwan is an internal matter of China and rejects any foreign interference.
Lai Rongwei mentioned that U.S. President Trump has urged NATO and all countries cooperating with the U.S. to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP and take on more responsibility and costs. Rutte supports Trump’s views and emphasizes that the CCP’s potential engagement with Russia could present threats to Europe, underscoring the urgency of increasing defense expenditures.
Lai indicated that the CCP is uneasy about Trump’s call for increased military spending by countries and feels pressured by Rutte’s public support for Taiwan, fearing heightened international attention to Taiwan’s security issues. Therefore, the CCP must condemn foreign interference in domestic affairs to maintain internal stability.
He emphasized that the CCP seeks to annex Taiwan through continued military threats, infiltration, and the dissemination of false information to damage Taiwan’s image. Lai shares President Lai’s sentiment that “the world needs Taiwan, and Taiwan needs the world,” urging the Taiwanese people to stand against the CCP and internationalize the Taiwan issue to garner global support for Taiwan’s security.