Taiwan is a major producer of chips used in everything from cars to AI applications and is home to key Apple and Nvidia supplier TSMC.

But President-elect Donald Trump criticized Taiwan during the U.S. election campaign, accusing it of stealing business from American semiconductor companies. His threat of broad import tariffs could also affect an industry that is crucial to the island's economy.

Addressing Hawaii's East-West Center on Sunday, Lai said Taiwan actively contributes to the global supply chain, especially in high-tech industries such as semiconductors, according to a summary of his remarks released by the presidential office in Taiwan.

"The U.S.-Taiwan partnership not only strengthens these industries, but also demonstrates the strategic importance of Taiwan as a trusted and reliable partner," the statement paraphrased Lai as saying in closed-door comments he gave in English. "Taiwan also actively cooperates with like-minded countries, demonstrating that Taiwan utilizes its expertise to contribute to global development."

The excerpts of the remarks made no mention of Trump, who also said before winning last month's U.S. election that Taiwan should pay to be protected.

Lai is making a stopover in Hawaii as part of a week-long visit to allies in the Pacific. China has condemned the trip, saying it opposes any such transit stops by Taiwanese leaders on U.S. territory.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position Lai and his government reject, and has stepped up its military activities around the island in the past five years.

Security sources have told Reuters that China could hold more drills around Taiwan to coincide with Lai's Pacific trip.