A former White House security official says concepts from Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy have deeply influenced the United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy. The comments were made by Ivan Kanapathy, former White House National Security Council director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, at the Yushan Forum on Wednesday.
Kanapathy says that some ideas from former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have also influenced U.S. strategy. He adds that the wisdom of the New Southbound Policy became evident during the supply chain disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.
Kanapathy also addressed concerns over TSMC's recent investments in the United States. There are worries that the move might lead to decreased attention to Taiwan's security if company operations were moved to the U.S. Kanapathy pushed back against such concerns, saying that if foreign trade is like dating, foreign investment is like a marriage. He says TSMC’s investment in countries such as the U.S., Japan, and Germany deepens economic integration, which helps create deterrent forces.