【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】 As the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing President Trump's comprehensive tariff policy, the U.S. "Politico" news website reported on the afternoon of November 12, citing sources, that the White House is accelerating the tariff negotiations with trade partners. Among them, the United States is demanding that Taiwan invest $350 billion and $55 billion, while Taiwan is still planning to complete the agreement by the end of this month.
Upon the release of the news, public opinion in Taiwan was in an uproar. Hong Kong News Network reported on the 13th that Kuomintang legislator Li Yanxiu called it "shocking," and some people shouted, "This is several generations' savings of Taiwan, which must be refused." Many netizens also directly said, "Isn't this selling out Taiwan?" "If we agree, we will be stripped bare!"
According to sources, although the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn the current 20% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Taiwan, the Taiwanese side continues to seek to finalize the agreement before the end of November because they are more concerned about the ongoing Section 232 investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which could lead to new tariffs on the semiconductor industry, and these tariffs are not affected by the Supreme Court's decision.
"Politico" news website reported that the two sides' negotiation teams are currently engaged in a "tug-of-war" over a clause in the agreement. This clause requires Taiwan to invest billions of dollars in the United States, following the model of similar commitments previously reached with South Korea and Japan, with the investment amount "between $350 billion and $550 billion."
A local media outlet in Taiwan calculated, from 1952 to September 2025, the total direct investment of the Taiwan region in the United States was $50.847 billion. The minimum requirement of the United States, $350 billion, is six times the total direct investment over the past 73 years, a staggering figure. If calculated at $550 billion, it would be more than ten times. Another expert in Taiwan analyzed that the U.S. probably will not include the $16.5 billion investment announced by TSMC in the United States in this calculation.
Hong Kong News Network pointed out that on the 11th, Taiwan's leader Lai Ching-te said that the "U.S.-Taiwan" tariff negotiations were "missing the final touch." On the 12th, the head of the Taiwan authorities' foreign affairs department also confidently stated on a program that the negotiations were "almost completed," but after the U.S. media revealed the investment amount of $350 billion to $550 billion, the response of the Taiwan authorities was intriguing.
Taiwan's Central Daily News reported on November 13 that Lee Hui-chih, spokesperson for the Executive Yuan, did not explicitly deny or directly respond to the report during a press conference held that day, but said that the Taiwanese negotiation team was discussing supply chain cooperation with the U.S. in the "Taiwan model" to seek lower "mutual tariffs" without adding the original tax rate, as well as multiple tariff benefits. Their model is different from the models between the U.S. and Japan, and the U.S. and South Korea, and cannot be directly compared.
When asked about how much money the so-called "Taiwan model" would equate to, Lee Hui-chih replied that written exchange documents are being discussed.
Regarding this huge investment, there was widespread criticism in Taiwan. Kuomintang legislator Li Yanxiu bluntly said, "It's shocking," saying that if the information is true, it will severely impact and displace the investment capacity of the Taiwan region, affect the retention of talent and technology, and increase the possibility of "industrial hollowing out" of high technology.
Former Deputy Director-General of the Executive Yuan, Shi Junji, wrote on social media that the Taiwan authorities must reject the U.S. demands, because this huge sum is several generations of Taiwan's savings, "What right do we have to give it to Americans?"
Senior media person Xie Hanbing also sarcastically wrote that Taiwan has finally beaten South Korea, and even in terms of per capita comparison, it has completely surpassed South Korea and Japan, "How can the world see the tail lights of Taiwan?"
Taiwan netizens also commented, "Isn't this selling out Taiwan?" "Why should we allow the U.S. to take whatever they want?"
Screenshot
"Politico" news website reported that as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the limits of Trump's tariff power, trade partners who have not yet reached an agreement are expected to accelerate their progress, as they believe that if the Supreme Court rules the tariffs invalid, it may weaken the negotiating power of the Trump administration, and smaller economies may have the opportunity to dominate future tariff negotiations.
However, an official from a small European country also said that regardless of the Supreme Court's ruling, all economies that have not yet reached an agreement face pressure.
An anonymous source familiar with the "U.S.-Taiwan" trade negotiations told the U.S. media, considering Trump's capriciousness, "I have given up predicting when he will finally agree."
On the 12th, Chen Binghua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, stated that currently, the advantage industries in Taiwan are forced to move their production capacity and lose advanced technologies due to the U.S.'s exploitative practices and the Kuomintang's pro-American and sell-out policies. Traditional industries are facing survival difficulties due to heavy tariffs, and thousands of workers are struggling to make a living. If the Kuomintang authorities continue to ignore the interests and well-being of enterprises and the people, persist in selling out Taiwan to the U.S., and let themselves "eat subsidies" while the people "suffer," they will eventually be abandoned by the people.
This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Without permission, it cannot be reprinted.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7572211011005071922/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking the [Upvote/Downvote] buttons below.