Taipei: President Lai Ching-te will host a closed-door national security briefing for opposition party leaders on Wednesday, the Presidential Office announced on Monday. This marks the first occasion where Lai will gather officials from the Ministry of National Defense (MND), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), and National Security Bureau (NSB) to inform major opposition party leaders about pressing national security issues.
According to Focus Taiwan, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo stated that the morning briefing aims to help opposition leaders "understand the major threats facing the nation" and related policies. The briefing will be entirely closed to the public due to the highly sensitive nature of the content, aiming to "ensure the country is united across party lines in the face of various challenges."
Kuo mentioned that the meeting will feature four reports. The first, presented by the MND, will address China's military expansion and Taiwan's military response. The second report, by MOFA, will discuss global challenges and Taiwan's diplomatic strategy. The MAC, which manages relations with China from Taiwan's perspective, will report on current developments in China and their implications for cross-Taiwan Strait relations. Lastly, the NSB will address threats from China's hybrid warfare and international responses to these threats.
The meeting schedule includes a general discussion period to encourage dialogue among ruling and opposition party leaders. Kuo explained that the briefing was proposed by Lai on the one-year anniversary of his inauguration on May 20 this year, as part of a call for cross-party consultations on national affairs.
This call for unity arises as Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which he leads, along with local civic groups, have initiated campaigns to recall more than 30 of the opposition Kuomintang's (KMT) lawmakers in the Legislative Yuan. The DPP, which maintained a clear legislative majority from 2016 to 2024, holds 51 seats in the 113-seat body, while the opposition KMT and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) control the remaining 62.
Although Kuo did not specify which opposition leaders were invited, KMT Chairman Eric Chu and TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang are likely the leaders being referred to. As of Monday evening, neither Chu nor Huang had confirmed their attendance.