A senior advisor to Taiwan’s president refuted US President Donald Trump’s claim that Taiwan “stole” the US chip business.

Chen Po-chih, an advisor to President Lai Ching-te, called Trump’s remarks a misunderstanding and emphasized Taiwan’s role in supporting US technological leadership.

Trump, during his campaign and in a Feb. 13 memo, criticized Taiwan for producing over 90% of advanced chips and said, “We want that business back.”

Chen, a former head of Taiwan’s Council for Economic Planning and Development, explained that Taiwan’s semiconductor industry grew with early US support but later advanced through its own research.

He stressed that Taiwan’s contract manufacturing benefits US firms, particularly in AI.

High tariffs on Taiwanese chips, he warned, could weaken US companies, benefit China, and trigger talent migration.

Chen urged a collaborative “horizontal division of labor” among the US, Taiwan, and allies to maximize strengths.

He also criticized Trump’s plan for reciprocal tariffs, calling it crude and possibly in violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.