TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Executive Yuan (行政院), the nation's cabinet, has summoned political leaders from across the spectrum for an emergency meeting (April 7) on Monday at 2 p.m. as the island democracy scrambles to respond to Washington's punishing new 32% tariff on Taiwanese exports. The hastily arranged high-level gathering underscores mounting concerns about potential economic fallout for Taiwan's export-dependent economy. Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) confirmed on Sunday that Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) has personally reached out to representatives from all legislative caucuses in an unprecedented effort to forge a unified national strategy against what many view as an existential economic threat.
The initiative has garnered swift affirmative responses from Taiwan's primary opposition forces, including both the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), the island's main opposition party with historically closer ties to Beijing, and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨), a centrist political group founded in 2019. In a measured statement that balanced patriotism with political caution, KMT Legislative Caucus Leader Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) signaled his party's readiness to transcend partisan divisions during what he characterized as a national economic crisis. Fu simultaneously laid down a marker, however, emphasizing that the ruling party should arrive prepared with concrete, actionable proposals rather than merely seeking approval for additional government expenditures to weather the tariff storm.
Meanwhile, Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤), a prominent legislator from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) emphasized the necessity for approaching the discussions with an open mind and without predetermined conditions. Wu characterized the gathering as a critical national affairs meeting that transcends ordinary political considerations. The government's outreach extends beyond party caucuses to include Legislative Yuan (立法院) President Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), Taiwan's parliamentary leader and a significant political figure who narrowly lost the 2020 presidential election. While Han has not yet formally confirmed his participation in the high-stakes economic summit, sources close to the parliamentary leader indicate he is expected to attend.
