President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said at the CommonWealth Economic Forum (CWEF) on Thursday that the completion of U.S.-Taiwan tariff negotiations marks the beginning of a new phase in Taiwan’s economic development. Despite global instability, from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, to fears of capital flight, Lai emphasized that Taiwan has remained strong, emerging as a “trusted and secure non-China supply chain” for democratic economies and attracting significant foreign investment.