German economic official heads to Taiwan as Berlin looks beyond Beijing

Name: Berlin stops Chinese companies from investing in German chip makers over security concerns
Uploaded: 2022-11-16T12:30:10.000Z
Duration: 2 min 38 s
Description: Berlin stops Chinese companies from investing in German chip makers over security concerns

Franziska Brantner will focus on economic affairs and policies between Germany and Taiwan, building on two multiparty delegations from Bundestag last month

She is also expected to visit Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company as Germany tries to secure chip supply

2-MIN READ2-MIN

German parliamentary state secretary for economic affairs and climate action Franziska Brantner has made a lightning visit to Taiwan to discuss business and economic issues. Photo: Facebook

Lawrence Chungin Taipei

Published: 8:30pm, 16 Nov 2022

Germany has sent a senior economics official to Taiwan on a brief trip as Berlin weighs up both its ties with the island and its trade and political relationship with Beijing.

Confirming her previously undisclosed visit, the German Institute Taipei said on Wednesday that parliamentary state secretary for economic affairs and climate action Franziska Brantner arrived on Tuesday and would meet senior officials and business leaders on the island during her two-day stay.

“[Brantner’s] visit focuses on issues related to economic affairs and policies between Germany and Taiwan,” said the institute, which represents Berlin’s interests in the absence of formal ties with the self-governed island.

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Berlin stops Chinese companies from investing in German chip makers over security concerns

In addition to meeting Taiwanese officials, Brantner was expected to visit local think tanks, German companies based in Taiwan and Germany Trade & Invest in Taipei, the institute said.

Brantner was also expected to visit the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chip maker, according to German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel.

Germany has been seeking to secure a chip supply from Taiwan for its car industry, with Bloomberg reporting the country was in contact with TSMC to potentially build a semiconductor plant in the country.

Joanne Ou, spokeswoman for Taiwan’s foreign ministry, on Wednesday welcomed Brantner’s visit and announced the island’s deputy foreign minister Alexander Yui would host a banquet for the German official.

Ou said the island’s government was happy to see “frequent interactions and exchanges between Taiwan and Germany”.