TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan must stand united to weather mounting international trade pressures, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) declared Wednesday (April 9), pledging his administration's unwavering commitment to securing fair tariff arrangements and preserving competitive conditions for the island's businesses. Speaking at the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP, 民進黨) Central Standing Committee meeting, the president unveiled an ambitious economic response package featuring nine targeted initiatives spanning multiple industrial sectors. The comprehensive plan encompasses expanded financing options, streamlined export procedures, and strategic market diversification efforts, supported by a proposed supplementary budget of NT$88 billion (US$2.67 billion) to cushion affected industries.
The president detailed five strategic approaches that have already garnered broad endorsement from civil society organizations, business leaders, and industrial representatives, while also eliciting encouraging responses from American officials. Lai appealed directly to opposition parties for their cooperation in expediting these measures to provide immediate relief to tariff-impacted sectors and establish foundations for Taiwan's economic restructuring. During his address, the president reaffirmed Taiwan's strategic decision to refrain from implementing retaliatory tariffs while continuing American investment initiatives, though he carefully qualified that such policies would remain subject to Taiwan's sovereign national interests. Recognizing the collaborative nature of the government's response, Lai expressed gratitude for substantive public contributions to policy formulation and emphasized that cross-party collaboration would be essential for reinforcing Taiwan's economic resilience.
Looking beyond immediate challenges, President Lai articulated an optimistic vision where Taiwan could strategically position itself amid evolving global geopolitical realignments to accelerate both industrial advancement and societal progress. The president concluded his remarks with a passionate appeal for political unity across party lines, framing the current economic situation as an opportunity for national solidarity rather than partisan division. Lai projected resolute confidence in Taiwan's fundamental economic strengths and the resilience of its people to surmount the present difficulties and emerge in a stronger position on the international stage.
