Texas Gov. Abbott Meets Taiwan President Lai During His East Asia Tour

TAIPEI, Taiwan—During the first stop of his East Asia tour, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott met with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and emphasized the importance of the partnership between Texas and Taiwan. “The role that Taiwan plays on the global stage is so incredibly important for so many reasons,” Mr. Abbott said during his meeting with Mr. Lai in Taipei on July 7. “Trade is an obvious one. Semiconductor technology innovation is another one. But what you do also is so important for world peace and for democracy across the globe.” Taiwan produces about 90 percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and roughly 65 percent of the world’s semiconductors, according to the U.S. Institute of Peace. As a result, Taiwan’s leadership position in global chip manufacturing has been dubbed the island’s “silicon shield” against a Chinese invasion. The communist regime in China sees Taiwan as a “renegade province” waiting to be “reunited” with the mainland, even though the self-ruled island is a de facto independent nation....