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President Lai Ching-te went great lengths to convene an inter-Yuan coordination meeting but failed to produce a "result."

President Lai Should Facilitate Cross-Partisan Dialogue, Not Inter-Yuan Coordination

 

President Lai Ching-te convened a historic first "inter-Yuan coordination" meeting, a significant gesture that proved ultimately futile. While President Lai enjoys ceremonial admiration as the head of state, his efforts to resolve the conflict between the executive and legislative branches over the national budget and political tension from mass recalls have been ineffective. The meeting, filled with ceremonial flair, ultimately served as a symbolic gesture with no real impact, especially with the judiciary and Control Yuan being represented by deputies, exposing the incomplete nature of the Lai administration.

The ruling party (DPP) has dubbed the upcoming session of the Legislative Yuan as the "recall session," with both the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) responding with counter-recalls, making intense partisan clashes inevitable.

Legislative Yuan Opens Session: DPP to Focus on Recalls, Undermining Opposition Agenda on People's Livelihood

 

President Donald Trump of the United States stated that he will impose "reciprocal tariffs" on multiple countries. The move will expedite the transformation of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) into an American firm.

U.S. Chip Tax Targets TSMC

 

For Taiwan, as the tariff war initiated by President Donald Trump of the United States becomes unavoidable, the result is not only the inevitable growth of "U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing Company," but the need to think beyond short-term responses. Long-term strategies are becoming even more important and necessary.

24 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives jointly proposed a concurrent resolution of Congress, urging the Trump administration to abolish the "One China" policy and re-establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

February 8:
Republican members of the United States House of Representatives jointly proposed a concurrent resolution of Congress, urging the administration of President Donald Trump to abolish the "One China" policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. They argue that the "One China" policy is outdated, no longer aligns with the interests of the American and Taiwanese people and fails to reflect the clear reality of Taiwan as a sovereign and independent country for over seven decades. The resolution also encourages the Trump administration to negotiate a U.S.-Taiwan bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) and supports Taiwan's inclusion in international organizations.

 

February 9: 

The National Communications Commission (NCC) announced that an additional review fee of NT$750 (about US$23) will be charged for overseas purchases of consumer electronics, smart home products equipped with Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth that are mailed back to Taiwan. It stated that the review is to maintain the order of Taiwan's radio waves. However, products personally carried back from abroad in quantities of five units or fewer are exempt from this fee. After a public outcry, the NCC declared that it would reassess and temporarily suspend fee collection.

 

February 10: 

President Lai Ching-te coordinated the first inter-Yuan meeting in constitutional history, convening the heads of the five branches of government to discuss national affairs. Speaker Han Kuo-yu of the Legislative Yuan stated that he had personally asked President Lai, in his capacity as chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), to call for an end to the malicious large-scale recall efforts. Han also pledged to convene party caucuses to negotiate the general budget and hoped that the Executive Yuan would not propose a reconsideration and instead utilize budget additions as a solution.

Although the Office of the President denied that the consultation was a lopsided five-to-one scenario, the Executive, Control, and Examination Yuans all issued press releases criticizing the Legislative Yuan.

 

February 11:

The Legislative Yuan rejected the reconsideration submission by the Executive Yuan on the stricter amendment to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act concerning petitions, marking the third time that reconsideration submitted by Premier Cho Jung-tai was denied. The DPP caucus of the Legislative Yuan threatened to propose a constitutional interpretation.

Last year, the Legislative Yuan passed the third reading of the amendment to the Election and Recall Act, adding that petitioners for recall cases must attach a copy of the front and back of their national identification cards. Penalties were also added for forging or impersonating others' personal information to sign petitions.

February 15:

A Brave Eagle advanced trainer aircraft of the Air Force crashed into the sea off Taitung due to dual engine failure, and the pilot safely parachuted and was rescued. This marks the first major accident for the Brave Eagle trainer aircraft since it entered service at the end of 2021. The Air Force has formed a special investigation team to examine the cause.