The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday unveiled three countermeasures should Beijing further step up its poaching of the nation’s diplomatic allies as it fights a protracted trade war with Washington.
Speaking at a weekly news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei, Department of North American Affairs Remus Chen (陳立國) said that the US-China trade war has become more complicated and confrontational, with neither side showing a willingness to engage in further negotiations.
The government has set three measures to mitigate the impact of a potential economic and political fallout from the trade war, Chen said.
First, Taiwan is to engage in “value-based” diplomacy with its diplomatic allies, as well as the US, Japan and other like-minded nations, as an escalating trade war could drive China to adopt an increasingly heavy-handed approach to wooing the nation’s diplomatic allies and limit its international space, he said.
The government would redouble its efforts to deepen ties with its allies while striving to enlist the support of like-minded nations to boost Taiwan’s international participation, he said.
Second, the government would continue its efforts to gain membership in the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and take advantage of existing trade frameworks, including the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement it has with the US and the SelectUSA Investment Summit, he said.
These measures are aimed at lessening the negative impact of the trade war, which Taiwanese businesses — as an integral part of the global supply chain — cannot avoid, he said.
Third, the nation would continue to work with the US in its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Strategy, in which Washington has repeatedly acknowledged that Taiwan has a critical role, he said.
The FOIP and the government’s New Southbound Policy share similarities, are mutually advantageous for Taiwan and the US, and complement each other well, he said.
The government would continue to demonstrate that it is willing and able to participate in the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy, to cement the Taiwan-US partnership and explore possibilities of cooperation in the Pacific region with like-minded nations, he said.
Quoting Premier William Lai (賴清德), Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said that there have been signs suggesting the possibility of a protracted trade war.
The Cabinet would follow instructions given by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in her Double Ten National Day speech to pursue a path of “stability, adaptiveness and advancements” in its efforts to bolster the economy and ensure national security, Kolas quoted the premier as saying.
The government encourages local businesses operating in China to move their investment and operations back home or to nations targeted by the New Southbound Policy to avoid being affected by the trade war, and would continue to address the “five shortages” of water, electricity, land, talent and labor, the premier said.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS