At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai was briefed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) on the government's response to recent developments in the Middle East. The premier said the evolving situation in the region has significantly affected global energy supplies and prices. On March 9, the Executive Yuan convened a meeting with relevant ministries and agencies to coordinate measures to stabilize Taiwan's energy supply, financial markets and consumer prices.
With regard to assisting overseas Taiwanese nationals and travelers, Premier Cho noted that the MOFA helped 1,794 citizens depart the Middle East between March 4 and March 11. As some Taiwanese continue to travel to the region, he instructed relevant agencies to proactively provide travel alert reminders at airports and urge the public to avoid travel to destinations with an alert level of orange or higher.
Regarding financial market stability, the premier said the FSC has asked the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation (TWSE) and Taipei Exchange (TPEx) to closely monitor changes in international financial markets and establish a stock market stabilization task force to conduct rolling reviews of key financial market indicators.
On energy supply, Premier Cho said the MOEA has directed the CPC Corporation to coordinate natural gas supply sources and has confirmed a stable supply for March and April. He also instructed the MOEA to arrange alternative sources for May, as well as to increase natural gas imports from the U.S. starting June. In addition, the MOEA has tasked the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) with formulating response plans to secure energy supply and stabilize power generation, thereby reassuring the public and industries alike.
The premier emphasized that his administrative team will continue to closely follow developments in the Middle East, track potential impacts—including fluctuations in international oil and gas prices—and evaluate their effects on domestic supply chains and industries. A price stabilization task force will also continue meeting to conduct rolling reviews of response measures, as the government takes all necessary steps to ensure overall economic stability and protect people's livelihoods.