The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) confirmed on Tuesday that its chair will not join the June 18 national security meeting in Taipei. The decision stems from legal doubts and ongoing concerns about security briefing transparency. First, the TPP chair criticized the President’s Office for poor communication. In his view, the briefing lacks proper preparation and does not follow legal standards. Therefore, he urged the administration to engage the opposition in a more open and fair manner.
Moreover, the TPP said they were not involved in planning the meeting. Because of this, they questioned the briefing’s format and its legal foundation. They believe the structure could violate national security laws. In addition, the party demanded the removal of the top security official. They called him a potential threat to national safety. Furthermore, they accused another senior government advisor of working with the ruling party to damage the TPP’s public image.
Meanwhile, a TPP spokesperson pointed out key differences compared to earlier administrations. For instance, a similar meeting in 2020 involved weeks of discussion and clear documentation. In contrast, this administration relied mostly on phone calls without written records. As a result, several miscommunications have emerged. Likewise, the Kuomintang (KMT) secretary-general raised concerns.
He said the government announced the meeting date before confirming the agenda. Consequently, there is little room to discuss urgent national issues such as the economy and technology. The TPP also proposed a live broadcast of the meeting. They argued this would improve security briefing transparency and public accountability. However, the ruling party rejected the idea.
They said broadcasting such briefings could leak sensitive information and reduce the effectiveness of internal discussions. On the other hand, a former lawmaker said the political stalemate is more about ideology than information gaps. In his view, opposition leaders already understand major foreign policy issues through expert advice. In conclusion, the TPP insists that security briefing transparency is essential for trust and accountability. Unless the government improves communication and follows legal standards, the party says it will remain cautious about participating in such meetings.
