TPP Chairman KC Huang Leads Whirlwind Delegation to the U.S.

 

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman KC Huang led a delegation on a lightning visit to the United States. After arriving in Washington, D.C. shortly before 6:00 PM (EST) on January 12, the delegation immediately conducted a full day of meetings with a tightly packed itinerary. The entire delegation arrived back in Taiwan at 6:00 AM this morning (January 14).

 

Chairman KC Huang, Incoming Legislator Wang An-hsiang, TPP Caucus Director Vicky Chen, and former TPP Foreign Affairs Director Judie Lin held a press conference at the TPP Central Headquarters at 9:30 AM today to clearly report to the public the critical information brought back from this trip.

 

｜TPP Delegation’s Whirlwind U.S. Visit: Meetings with USTR, State Department, AIT Headquarters, and Department of War 

 

KC Huang stated that the delegation visited government agencies including the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. Department of State, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Washington Headquarters, and the Department of War (Department of Defense). Communication was very smooth. Through direct dialogue with multiple U.S. departments, the TPP fully conveyed three major concerns of the Taiwanese people to the U.S. side:

 

-The NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget lacks sufficient transparency and legislative oversight. 
-The massive procurement spans eight fiscal years; the public is concerned about whether the procurement items truly meet Taiwan’s defense needs.
-The upcoming tariff agreement may come at a high cost to Taiwan.  

 

KC Huang stated that the purpose of this trip was to fully reflect the concerns of the entire populace and to obtain sufficient information. He categorically rejected the remarks made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators who suggested "passing the money first and discussing what to buy later," calling it a waste of taxpayers' money.

 

Huang further mentioned a media report from December 18 last year, in which an arms dealer allegedly claimed that "all parties in Taiwan have heard the briefing on military procurement, including items not yet notified." Huang strongly refuted this as "utter nonsense and absurd" (literally: "seeing ghosts"), emphasizing, "To this day, I have neither seen nor been notified of this." The U.S. side also refuted these reports in person, confirming that the individuals mentioned have no connection to the U.S. government.

 

｜NT$1.25 Trillion Special Defense Budget: Many Items Unrelated to U.S. Procurement

 

The delegation was well-prepared and provided the U.S. side with the latest polling data from Taiwan to clearly demonstrate public opinion. The polls show that the reason the NT$1.25 trillion military budget has triggered such high controversy in Taiwanese society lies in the "black box" of information (lack of transparency). The Taiwanese people were only "informed" of this major news through President Lai Ching-te’s op-ed in The Washington Post. Despite persistent questioning by cross-party legislators in the Legislative Yuan, the executive branch has consistently refused to provide complete information. This emasculation of legislative authority violates the spirit of democracy. coupled with successive scandals regarding defense procurement, public trust continues to hit new lows.

 

KC Huang stated that the U.S. side fully understands and agrees that the special ordinance for military procurement naturally requires a democratic review process and that Legislative Yuan should receive clear and sufficient information beforehand. The U.S. explicitly responded that they would communicate with the DPP government as soon as possible to urge them to report and explain the items and content of the special ordinance to the Legislative Yuan without delay.

 

The U.S. side admitted that currently, only a portion of the items in the NT$1.25 trillion procurement plan have been made public. Although the U.S. will announce additional items in the future, a significant proportion of the budget is unrelated to military procurement from the U.S. Furthermore, there are doubts regarding whether the items selected by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) truly meet Taiwan's needs. For example, regarding the large budget Taiwan previously spent on the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program, despite differing opinions raised multiple times by various parties, the DPP insisted on proceeding based on political reasons. The TPP's position—that "such a massive budget must be used to truly strengthen defense resilience, spending money where it counts most, and avoiding the mistakes of the indigenous submarine program"—received a positive response.

 

｜Post-Visit Resolve: Stronger Opposition to DPP’s Procurement Version; TPP to Propose Own Version

 

KC Huang reiterated that following this trip, "our determination to oppose the additional military budget proposed by the Ministry of National Defense is only stronger; our attitude has not softened in the slightest." He emphasized that Taiwan's national defense cannot become a "fat piece of meat" for arms brokers. Therefore, the TPP will propose its own version of the Special Act on Procurement for the National Security Defense and Asymmetric Capability Enhancement Program. Once the MND submits the relevant reports, the party expects to handle different scenarios individually in two weeks so that Taiwan's military procurement no longer leaves "space for manipulation."

 

｜Visit to USTR: KC Huang Surprised Tariff Conditions Are Already Settled Without Legislative Knowledge

 

The delegation also seized the time to visit the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to inquire about the progress of tariff negotiations. They asked whether, in addition to the known investment of over NT$3 trillion by TSMC, Taiwan would be required to make further investments or meet other demands.

 

KC Huang expressed surprise that "the tariff conditions between Taiwan and the U.S. have already been settled, but we only learned the content after arriving in the U.S." He emphasized that the agreement includes items other than expanded investment and that there is a "high probability" it will be announced and signed within the coming weeks. The next major event will be the review by Taiwan's Legislative Yuan. He expressed deep regret that the DPP insists on "black box" operations, keeping the Taiwanese people in the dark until the very last moment. There has been no open response or discussion during the process, nor any willingness to allow Legislative participation prior to such an important agreement involving Taiwan's economy and development.

 

｜Supporting the Nation is Our Shared Responsibility

 

KC Huang reiterated that the significance of this trip was to convey the true voice of the Taiwanese people to the U.S. and to bring correct information back to the Taiwanese people. Under the strong military threat and challenges from the CCP, Taiwan must actively build defense resilience and improve self-defense capabilities, but democratic oversight cannot be abandoned.

 

Huang further pointed out that in addition to strengthening national defense, governments and political parties on both sides of the strait should maintain communication and exchange. He stated: "Taiwan is currently facing worrisome internal and external pressures. As a major political party in Taiwan, the TPP—besides upholding the free and democratic lifestyle of the Taiwanese people—will supervise the government's major defense and economic decisions with a rational, pragmatic, and professional attitude. We aim to promote Taiwan's economic development and guarantee the people's welfare. We will not walk the extremes but will actively maintain friendly communication with all countries to uphold regional peace and stability. This is our party's inescapable responsibility."

 

Regarding the planning of this trip, former Foreign Affairs Director Judie Lin stated that planning began last August. It was originally scheduled for last September but was voluntarily postponed by the TPP due to various factors. Contact was immediately made to request face-to-face communication after the U.S. State Department announced the five military procurement items. She emphasized that the departments visited were disclosed publicly (four locations) with U.S. consent, though there were other departments that cannot be revealed. The U.S. officials met were appropriate to Chairman KC Huang’s level and are key members of the task forces responsible for Taiwan affairs.