Tariffs and military preparedness came up during her trip to the US, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Lu said she has conveyed “our needs and our views” during the trip, and expressed Taiwan’s sincerity in deepening cooperation with the US.
As an export-oriented economy, Taiwan is highly sensitive to tariffs, Lu said, adding that she called for a quick resolution to tariff issues to ensure global trade stability and economic order.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung City Government via CNA
On arms procurement, Lu said the possibility of war should not be underestimated and that every country should bolster its defense capabilities and be prepared, as conflicts could break out unexpectedly.
Achieving that requires domestic unity, a shared national vision and appropriate military deployment, she said.
Cooperation with regional partners is critical, and the US has long been a key partner of Taiwan, playing a crucial role in maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Pacific region, she added.
Lu described her meetings during the trip as surpassing expectations, with in-depth discussions on a wide range of issues.
Among those she met was American Institute in Taiwan Managing Director Ingrid Larson, head of the agency’s Washington office, whom she described as “an old friend.”
Lu made the remarks while attending the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America on the “Three-in-One Green Channel” initiative.
The program aims to provide consolidated services for overseas Taiwanese seeking to invest, purchase property or settle in Taichung, she said, adding that promoting Taichung and attracting investment to the city were key objectives of her trip.
Lu is widely seen as a potential Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate for the 2028 presidential election, but she declined to comment on the issue, saying she is “currently not a presidential candidate.”
Lu departed for the US on Wednesday last week and is scheduled to conclude her trip on Saturday.
Her itinerary included visits to Boston and New York before she arrived in Washington, where she also visited Maryland.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS