[Trump wants Taiwan to join the "Alaska Gas Plan," and Treasury Secretary hints at a "tariff exemption" deal.] The U.S. is planning the "Alaska Project" to build a 1,300-kilometer liquefied natural gas pipeline. However, Trump does not want to pay for it himself. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on April 7 that nearly 70 countries (and regions) have contacted the Trump administration hoping to negotiate tariff exemptions. Bessent said that Trump would personally participate in negotiations and used the example of Alaska's "pipeline plan," hoping that Taiwan (region), South Korea, and Japan could jointly participate in this $44 billion project with the goal of supplying Alaska's natural gas to East Asia by 2030.

It is worth noting that Bessent said: "We will see what our trading partners can offer. The large-scale energy deal in Alaska is ongoing, and Japan, South Korea, perhaps Taiwan... can undertake a large portion of this plan and provide some financial support," "This may be their alternative proposal (meaning tariff exemption), as it can not only provide the U.S. with a large number of job opportunities but also reduce the trade deficit. All options are on the table."

As a prelude, Alaska Governor and U.S. natural gas pipeline company officials visited Taiwan last month and also visited Japan and South Korea to promote related investment projects.

White House spokesperson Lewitt then stated that military base issues and foreign aid could also be included in trade negotiation terms. "The president will tailor conditions for each country. If it includes aid, or the presence of our military forces, and how they are paid for... these will all be part of the negotiation content."

Will Lai Qingde offer hundreds of billions of dollars in investments to seek "tariff exemption" from Trump? It is estimated that Wu Zhaoxiang discussed this issue during his visit to the U.S. From Lai Qingde's six strategies, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities are likely to participate in this project. Lai Qingde not only announced that Taiwan will not adopt retaliatory countermeasures and will expand purchases from the U.S. to reduce the trade deficit with Taiwan but also declared that Taiwan will increase its investment in the U.S., deepen industrial cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S., and form a "Taiwan Investment Team for the U.S."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828882376870915/

Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views.