The United States is Taiwan's most important backer and biggest arms supplier, but Trump's recent warnings of chip taxes and criticisms of Taipei have raised concerns about his commitment to the island's security.

Taiwan lives under the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims the island as part of its territory.

Trump has previously accused Taiwan of stealing the US chip industry and suggested it should pay the United States for its defence.

Speaking at a security forum on Thursday, Taiwan's National Security Council chief Joseph Wu praised the United States for providing defence equipment to Taiwan, training its soldiers and boosting its international presence.

"I think the Trump administration's support for Taiwan will remain very strong," Wu told the HFX Taipei Forum.

"I think it's very clear that the United States is supporting Taiwan, and with the US support, I think we will be more confident in defending ourselves."

Wu rejected Trump's assertion that Taiwan stole the US semiconductor industry, a key driver of the island's economy.

"We did not steal anything from anybody, and Taiwan has been very honest in doing business with the international community," Wu said.

"I know there's a guy who has been stealing stuff from us, from the United States and from others, and that is that big fat bully from our neighborhood."

Wu evaded a question about whether Taiwan planned to buy up to $10 billion worth of US weapons, saying the Trump administration was new and "eventually we will get together and discuss" the issue.

But he said Taiwan was considering buying more industrial products from the United States, including generators and natural gas.

"Buying from the United States is not giving the United States, it's a fair trade," Wu said.

"If the United States has a very good product that Taiwan happens to need... that will be the items that we will be thinking about."

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te last week vowed to boost investment in the United States and spend more on its own defences.

Taiwan was willing to work with democratic partners such as the United States to build a "more resilient and diversified semiconductor supply chain", Lai said.

Taiwan's TSMC, which is the world's largest chipmaker, has long been under pressure to move more of its production away from Taiwan, where the bulk of its fabrication plants are located.

TSMC's new factories overseas include three planned in the United States and one that opened in Japan last year.

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