The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday called for a Cabinet reshuffle, particularly in national security and economic positions, over what it described as the government’s mishandled response to the US imposing tariffs on Taiwanese goods.
The Executive Yuan on Thursday denounced the tariff as “deeply unreasonable,” and held a news conference on Friday pledging NT$88 billion (US$2.66 billion) in economic support measures.
KMT caucus secretary-general Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) yesterday said that Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo’s (郭智輝) silence during the news conference showed poor leadership, while his acquiescence to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming’s (柯建銘) call to “ignore the media” reflected the Cabinet’s incompetence.
Photo: Taipei Times
If Ker’s statement — reportedly made after attending a national security meeting — that Taiwan would only be hit by “at most” a 10 percent tariff is true, Taiwan is woefully uninformed and the entire national security team should be reshuffled, Wang said.
Commenting on Premier Cho Jung-tai’s (卓榮泰) plan to convene a cross-party caucus meeting to address the tariff issue, KMT Legislator Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said that President William Lai (賴清德), in his role as DPP chairman, should meet with KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) to “show sincerity.”
DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) dismissed the opposition’s calls for a Cabinet reshuffle as “cheap political manipulation,” when the nation should maintain solidarity and face difficulties together.
DPP Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) said that a change in government personnel would be ill-advised during such a critical period, adding that perhaps it is opposition lawmakers disrupting normal government operations who should be replaced.
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