President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has said that Taiwan will establish an Asia Asset Management Center (AAMC) to “keep money in Taiwan and manage it ourselves,” while also attracting global capital and ushering in what he called a new “golden age” for the nation’s economy.

Speaking at an asset management forum on Tuesday hosted by the Commercial Times, Lai said the initiative aims to strengthen Taiwan’s financial independence and leverage its abundant domestic wealth. “The United States has its golden age,” Lai said. “Taiwan should have its own.” He noted that Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves have exceeded US$600 billion, the stock market has surpassed 27,000 points and a capitalization of US$3 trillion, and the combined assets of the banking, insurance, and securities sectors have topped NT$130 trillion (US$4.2 trillion).

Lai emphasized that Taiwan should not rely on investing its insurance or banking assets in foreign bonds, which expose the economy to exchange-rate losses. Instead, he said, the AAMC will channel those resources into Taiwan’s own development and attract international investors.

“This way, we can cultivate our own financial talent. Our children can stay in Taiwan to manage the wealth created by the Taiwanese people, without having to go to Singapore or elsewhere. With our abundant capital, international cooperation will create a multiplier effect that will further drive Taiwan’s prosperity,” Lai said.

Lai also reaffirmed his administration’s three economic pillars — innovation and sustainability, aerospace and ocean exploration, and global outreach — while pledging to expand investment in semiconductors, AI, and defense industries to secure Taiwan’s long-term competitiveness.