New Delhi [India], March 7 (ANI): Vincent Yi-hsiang Chao, Deputy Secretary-General at Taiwan’s National Security Council, warned of broad economic and security repercussions from the ongoing Middle East conflict, stressing the importance of regional stability.
Chao said tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran are already being felt globally. “There are going to be implications and repercussions for Taiwan, whether we’re talking about energy, the economy or potentially financial markets as well, and already we are seeing some signs of that,” he stated.
He explained that Taiwan will view developments in West Asia through the lens of its immediate interests—peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait—and urged a swift end to the Middle East fighting so Taiwan can remain focused on deterring conflict in the Indo-Pacific. “We are going to see what is happening in the Middle East through the prism of our immediate interests, which is peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait. And we do hope that this conflict in the Middle East is finished as soon as possible so that we can continue to focus on deterring conflict across the Taiwan Strait in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
Chao emphasised ongoing diplomatic coordination, saying Taiwan will “continue to be in close contact with the United States and close partners and allies in the region.”
On supply chains, he noted Taiwan has been reducing reliance on volatile areas. “Fortunately, the diversification process has already started for a couple of years now, and we are importing a lot more from the United States. We’re working with Southeast Asia as well,” he said.
Still, he cautioned that energy-dependent countries remain exposed. “We can’t be over-leveraged in any part of the world, particularly one as volatile as the Middle East. And so we have been taking a lot of steps to rectify that and to manage the trade diversification components. Every country that relies on Middle Eastern gas and Middle Eastern oil is still going to be impacted to a large degree,” Chao warned. (ANI)
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