(ECNS) — A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday warned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that "currying favor will bring no benefits, and kneeling to the U.S. will lead nowhere."
Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to the U.S. imposing a 20 percent "reciprocal tariff" on Taiwan, higher than the 15 percent rate on Japan and South Korea, and comments by Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te that the tariff could be negotiable if Taiwan pledged to increase investment in the U.S. by $400 billion.
Zhu noted that instead of safeguarding the vital interests of the Taiwanese people in the face of U.S. bullying through tariff hikes and deliberate manipulation of the NT dollar's appreciation. She went on to accuse DPP authorities of intensifying efforts to appease the U.S., describing moves to offer substantial investment pledges as harming Taiwan's interests.
"$400 billion is roughly half of Taiwan's annual GDP. What will the people of Taiwan think?" the spokesperson asked.
Facing rising external risks and uncertainties, Taiwan could have strengthened cross-Strait economic cooperation, deepened integration, and bolstered the resilience of its industries to solidify economic foundations and improve its capacity to withstand risks, Zhu said.
Instead, the spokesperson said, driven by a pursuit of "Taiwanese independence" with foreign backing, the DPP has disregarded the island's economy and livelihoods, undermining Taiwan's development interests and harming its people and businesses.
(By Evelyn)
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