Taiwan Backing Ukraine, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu Contacts Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Offers Support
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Kyiv, Ukraine (April 22, 2022)– In a new conversation with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu stated Taiwan and Ukraine “are both democracies on the front line of resisting large authoritarian neighbors”, and announced an immediate donation of eight million dollars earmarked for Kyiv and Ukrainian medical institutions now dealing with the current military conflict within Ukraine. Three million is specifically for Kyiv.
Taiwan, which has already donated 20 million dollars for the cause of the Ukrainian refugees, mostly raised from public donations. Saying Mayor Vitali Klitschko’s fighting spirit was admirable, Wu added to Mayor Klitschko during their teleconference “Champ, we’ll continue to stand with you and your people. Freedom will prevail!” Speaking by video conference to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Taiwan and Ukraine were both democracies “on the front line of resisting the expansion of authoritarianism. The Taiwanese government and people also face a high threat from the authoritarian regime across the Taiwan Strait, and therefore feel the current situation faced by Ukraine as though it is happening to ourselves,” Mr. Wu added, referring to China, which still considers Taiwan part of its country.
According to the Taiwanese government, Taiwan expects little impact from the war in Ukraine on the supply of key raw materials for semiconductors, the government said on Saturday. The island of Taiwan is the world’s major chip manufacturer, home to TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, Asia’s most valuable company, the sole international key to alleviating a global shortage of semiconductors which have in some cases forced auto production lines to shutter.
The Taiwanese cabinet, after a meeting chaired by Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin, said three key raw materials for making chips: the gases neon; C4F6; and the metal palladium, would not see much impact. Russia produces neon, C4F6 and palladium. Taiwanese chip makers use little palladium, and neither Ukraine nor Russia is a major source for what gases the island does use in the chip industry. Domestic companies also have the ability to refine and “remanufacture” palladium, so there should be no impact. Regarding the neon and C4F6 gases, there are already sufficient back stocks on the island and supply chains are diversified, so the immediate impact of the Ukraine conflict with the Russian Federation is not significant.
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