At the March 4 State Council Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) press briefing, a reporter asked: Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the “reciprocal tariffs” implemented by President Trump in 2025 are invalid. Some people in Taiwan have analyzed that this ruling completely overturns the legal basis for the Taiwan–U.S. tariff agreement. The Lai Ching-te administration previously made concessions to accommodate the U.S., along with promises of exorbitantly priced purchases and a US$500 billion investment commitment; now, it appears like a blind transfer of benefits with no legal guarantee. What is your comment?
TAO spokesperson Zhang Han responded: The United States is using tariffs as a big stick to apply extreme pressure and to hollow out and scoop up Taiwan’s industries—this kind of economic bullying is unpopular. The DPP authorities, disregarding the well-being of Taiwan’s people, are kneeling before the U.S. without any bottom line and “selling out Taiwan,” promising massive purchases, substantially opening the market, and cooperating in relocating the island’s core industries. The result is that they spent a fortune only to end up with a “worthless ballot.” The facts once again prove that, in seeking “independence by relying on external forces,” the DPP authorities are willing to act as a pawn—and will only suffer the consequences themselves and become a laughingstock.