Taiwan said Wednesday it will inject up to US$4.4 billion in the Alaska LNG project, after US President Donald Trump announced the island's investment in the to-be-built natural gas pipeline. Taiwan imports nearly all of its energy supply and has sought to shore up Washington's support as China presses its claims of sovereignty over the island democracy. "According to current plans, the cooperation will include the annual procurement of six million metric tons of Alaska LNG following production," the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement. It will also involve "participation in project development, with an estimated investment of up to US$4.4 billion," AFP quoted the ministry as saying. "If the project progresses smoothly according to the planned timeline, it is expected to begin further supplementing domestic natural gas supplies as early as 2032," it added. The statement came hours after Trump told a rally in Wasilla, Alaska, that Taiwan had agreed to buy 30 percent of the output from the pipeline over the next 20 year and also invest US$4.4 billion into the project. Taiwan sources its LNG from multiple countries but the mix has changed dramatically this year after the start of the Middle East war when Iran claimed control of the Strait of Hormuz.
