TAIPEI (TVBS News) — With Taiwan's export-driven economy facing mounting pressure from American trade policies, New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) made a rare appearance at the national Cabinet meeting Thursday (April 10) to advocate for his city's vulnerable manufacturing sector. Mayor Hou, who governs Taiwan's most industrialized municipality, characterized the upcoming 90-day period as a critical window for developing protective measures and called for unprecedented coordination between Taiwan's central government and local authorities to shield businesses from potential economic damage.
The mayor, whose jurisdiction hosts a significant concentration of Taiwan's electronics manufacturing and information technology firms, reported his administration has conducted extensive consultations with local business leaders. Based on these discussions, Hou presented a three-point action plan to Premier Cho's cabinet. His first recommendation emphasized the urgent need for tiered contingency strategies spanning immediate relief measures to long-term industrial transformation, accompanied by clear guidance that would enable companies to implement preemptive adjustments to their operations and supply chains.
Hou's second recommendation called for fundamental reforms to Taiwan's business ecosystem, particularly highlighting persistent challenges in energy security, taxation policy, and workforce regulations that hamper Taiwanese companies' ability to compete globally. The mayor's third point broadened the scope of concern beyond his city's manufacturing base, as he pressed national negotiators to ensure that upcoming trade talks with Washington would protect Taiwan's agricultural and livestock sectors, which could face devastating consequences if excluded from diplomatic consideration.
The economy is the livelihood of the people, Mayor Hou emphasized, framing the tariff challenge as a direct threat to Taiwanese citizens' financial security rather than merely a macroeconomic concern. He urged national officials to integrate grassroots perspectives from regional governments and industry practitioners into their negotiation strategy with American counterparts. The mayor pledged that his administration would maintain its consultative approach, continuing to gather insights from public officials, business executives, and academic experts to develop responsive support mechanisms for companies navigating the uncertain trade environment.
Following the high-level discussions at the Executive Yuan (Taiwan's cabinet), New Taipei City officials issued a formal statement detailing the mayor's diplomatic intervention with national leadership. The communiqué emphasized Hou's role as a conduit for transmitting frontline economic concerns to Taiwan's decision-makers. In a vivid metaphor that captured the precarious position of Taiwan's economy amid great power competition, Hou characterized the United States and China as "two dancing and fighting elephants," warning that Taiwan must navigate carefully to avoid being trampled in their confrontation.
