讀後心得

The United States has imposed a high tariff of 32% on Taiwan, prompting Executive Yuan Minister Chiu Chang-tai to hold a press conference to respond to the policy. Kuomintang legislator Hong Meng-kai questioned whether the government had anticipated this situation and, if so, why it had delayed responding. He stated that the government's cards are already exposed, and the measures proposed cannot solve the actual problems, failing to clearly inform the public of the challenges they may face. He criticized the Democratic Progressive Party government for lacking effective international communication channels and emphasized that Taiwan should rethink its current strategies to address the upcoming difficulties.

The United States has imposed a high tariff of 32% on Taiwan, and the Premier recently held a press conference to explain the government's response measures. In this regard, a KMT legislator pointed out that everyone sincerely wanted to know during yesterday's explanation meeting by the Executive Yuan whether the government had foreseen the possibility of tariffs exceeding 30%. If there was prior awareness, why was the press conference held so late? And if there was no awareness, what was the substantial help of the meeting?

The legislator stated that outsiders initially thought the government had other cards to play, but the content of the meeting made it feel as though the government's options had already run out. For instance, the Ministry of Agriculture’s strengthening of the cold chain and the employment stabilization fund of the Ministry of Labor—have these been previously utilized? He emphasized whether the government can clearly inform the public about the potential problems they may face in the future. Taking last year's situation as an example, if Taiwan has to bear a 32% tariff, the financial impact reaches NT$1.3 trillion, while the NT$88 billion subsidy proposed by the Executive Yuan is merely one-tenth of that amount and cannot actually solve the problem.

He continued to point out that the meeting did not explain how Taiwan's industries would cope with the 32% tariff. The government did not honestly inform the public about the real situation they are facing, and the meeting tended to dramatize major issues while downplaying minor ones. The legislator also mentioned that the Cambodian government quickly responded and established direct communication channels with the US; what about Taiwan's current situation? He called on the DPP government to wake up. Are there any real channels for direct communication with the US, which are still not visible?

He stressed that the key issue lies in whether Taiwan still possesses stronger negotiation leverage. As an important exporter of electronic components and semiconductors, when TSMC was asked a month ago to invest US$100 billion in the United States, and Trump even increased the amount, the DPP government did not express any opposition or resistance to this, seemingly believing it was already a settled situation. He questioned, compared to the current tariff issue, if there had been more alertness and caution at that time, would it have allowed for greater negotiation space? Whether in business negotiations or changes in international situations, things are not as simple as the DPP government imagines.

The legislator criticized that now it seems everyone cannot unite on the same front, as the DPP government is still engaged in internal struggle and confrontation with the opposition party. What should be done on the international level? He urged that the people and industries in Taiwan are currently facing enormous difficulties, and he asked the DPP government to think carefully and not remain in a deep slumber.