Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-20
President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday convened a meeting of top officials to address the increasing likelihood of a trade war between the United States and China.
Present at the meeting were Premier William Lai, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu, National Security Council head David Lee and other senior advisors. Presidential Office spokesperson Alex Huang said President Tsai is very aware of the trade friction that has continued to grow between the US and China since March, and its potential effects on Taiwan.
Regarding the 25% tariff on US$50 billion of Chinese imports recently announced by the US president, Donald Trump, Huang said the National Security Council estimates the impact on Taiwan should be limited. However, if the US proceeds with a 10% tariff on US$200 billion of Chinese imports, the scope for escalation into an all-out trade war would be greater. Beijing has already signaled that it is prepared to retaliate against US tariffs, causing concern in world markets. [FULL STORY]