TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's media figure Jaw Shaw-kang (趙少康), former chairman of Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC, 中國廣播公司), a major media organization, voiced concerns on Monday (July 21) regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's recent global tariff announcements. Jaw noted that Taiwan's rate remains conspicuously absent from official disclosures. He claimed to have received unofficial information suggesting Taiwan might face a substantial 32% tariff rate, though this figure remains unconfirmed by official sources.
The media veteran sharply criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (民進黨, DPP), Taiwan's current governing party, for what he characterized as deliberately delaying the tariff announcement. Jaw questioned whether the administration was treating the information as a "state secret." He dismissed the DPP's purported target of securing a 10% tariff rate as unrealistic, further alleging that the government had already made significant concessions involving Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC, 台積電), along with deals concerning Alaskan natural gas and shale oil imports.
Jaw further alleged that the DPP strategically intends to withhold the tariff information until after a politically significant recall vote scheduled for Saturday (July 26), accusing the government of deliberately obscuring important economic information from voters. In a related development, Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯), a member of Taiwan's main opposition party, mentioned that certain websites regularly publish international tariff rates, though she cautioned that such unofficial sources require careful verification.
Hsu emphasized her belief that the ruling party fears potential electoral consequences if Taiwan's actual tariff rate becomes public knowledge before the upcoming vote. The opposition legislator warned that a successful recall would reduce legislative oversight capabilities, potentially allowing the DPP administration to avoid accountability regarding trade negotiations with the United States. ◼
