Do not equate William Lai and the DPP with Taiwan democracy
So Donald Trump's universal tariff war may be of some concern or at least interest to most of them. That's because it's been clear for some time that the US president doesn't distinguish between friend and foe when it comes to imposing duties on your exports to his country. In fact, if you are a traditional American ally or friend, he is likely to be even harsher because it makes you an easy mark for bullying.
And so the island's leader William Lai Ching-te 'temporarily
breathed a sigh of relief after learning that its exports to the United States will face a 20 per cent tariff – lower than the initially feared 32 per cent.'
Well done, what an achievement! Even the much-despised European Union gets 15 per cent tariffs. And Taiwan is supposed to be the global hub of democracy where America is ready to spill its own blood to defend? No wonder Lai gets such
dismal approval ratings
The problem is that only now, at the last minute, Lai and his independence-seeking Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) make negotiating trade terms with Washington top of the island's news agenda. Before, while every other major government around the world was prioritising trade negotiations to minimise the economic damage coming from Washington, Lai was busy touring the island to warn against mainland China's existential threat.
He has declared the mainland 'a foreign hostile force', showed off heavy American weapons like Abrams tanks, promoted urban warfare drills, and rewrote the history of the Republic of China (the island's official name) to
deny its historical roots in the mainland.
Then came la piece de resistance: the mass recall vote against opposition lawmakers. Through a quirk of the electoral system, you could recall legislators and run by-elections to replace them if there are enough voters to support the effort.
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Do not equate William Lai and the DPP with Taiwan democracy
Like most people everywhere, Taiwanese worry about jobs, their livelihoods and, if they run a business, the direction of the economy. So Donald Trump's universal tariff war may be of some concern or at least interest to most of them. That's because it's been clear for some time that the US president doesn't distinguish between friend and foe when it comes to imposing duties on your exports to his country. In fact, if you are a traditional American ally or friend, he is likely to be even harsher because it makes you an easy mark for bullying. And so the island's leader William Lai Ching-te 'temporarily breathed a sigh of relief after learning that its exports to the United States will face a 20 per cent tariff – lower than the initially feared 32 per cent.' Well done, what an achievement! Even the much-despised European Union gets 15 per cent tariffs. And Taiwan is supposed to be the global hub of democracy where America is ready to spill its own blood to defend? No wonder Lai gets such dismal approval ratings The problem is that only now, at the last minute, Lai and his independence-seeking Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) make negotiating trade terms with Washington top of the island's news agenda. Before, while every other major government around the world was prioritising trade negotiations to minimise the economic damage coming from Washington, Lai was busy touring the island to warn against mainland China's existential threat. He has declared the mainland 'a foreign hostile force', showed off heavy American weapons like Abrams tanks, promoted urban warfare drills, and rewrote the history of the Republic of China (the island's official name) to deny its historical roots in the mainland. Then came la piece de resistance: the mass recall vote against opposition lawmakers. Through a quirk of the electoral system, you could recall legislators and run by-elections to replace them if there are enough voters to support the effort.
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