Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) departed for Washington yesterday at the head of a legislative delegation, on what he said was a trip aimed at seeking mutual benefits and lower tariffs on Taiwanese imports to the US.
Before his departure from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport around 9:30pm yesterday, Chiang told reporters that the trip was mainly about parliamentary diplomacy.
However, compared to the past, the visit is special in terms of significance, goals and timing, given the current pressure on various countries due to the “reciprocal” tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump in early April, according to Chiang.
Photo: CNA
The legislative deputy speaker said that he and his delegation hope to achieve mutually beneficial goals and engage in discussions on lower tariffs on Taiwanese imports to the US.
He also expressed the hope that the calculation of the bilateral trade balance would take into account not just Taiwan’s arms procurement, but also other purchases from the US.
Given the complementary economic and trade relationship between Taiwan and the US, there are many areas for cooperation between industries on the two sides, he said.
Taiwan’s government and business sectors are hoping that trade talks with the US can be held soon, he said, adding that apart from arms purchases from the US, there is ample room for bilateral cooperation on national defense and security.
The visit comes in the wake of Trump's announcement on April 9 of a 90-day suspension of the “reciprocal” tariffs he had imposed days earlier and his statement that the US would hold negotiations with various countries during the 90-day pause.
Chiang's seven-member delegation, which includes lawmakers Chang Chih-lun (張智倫) and Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪) of the KMT, Lin Yi-chun (林憶君) of the Taiwan People’s Party, and Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) of the Democratic Progressive Party, is to start its official agenda today.
The agenda includes meetings with members of the US Congress, talks with other government officials, and discussions with think tanks that have an influence on the US government, Wang told reporters.
The talks are to focus on Taiwan security issues, including Taiwan’s importance in the first island chain in the Indo-Pacific and Taiwan’s increase of its national defense budget, Wang said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS