President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said this Wednesday that he plans to invite the heads of Taiwan’s five branches of government—the Legislature, Cabinet, Judiciary, Examination Yuan, and Control Yuan—to a tea gathering after the Lunar New Year to foster communication across party lines and strengthen national unity. Lai told reporters the meeting is to develop naturally without a set agenda, adding that “seeing each other breeds goodwill.”

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) announced last week that the President will host a tea gathering, which the Presidential Office has confirmed. The office highlighted Taiwan's complex challenges and emphasized that, despite political differences, there is only one nation. President Lai hopes that all five branches can foster dialogue, build consensus, and work together to benefit the country and address people's issues.

Asked whether the event signals greater engagement with opposition parties to accelerate passage of the annual and defense special budgets, Lai said the Presidential Office would not overly define the purpose of the tea gathering, given prior procedural concerns. He again called for goodwill, saying he hopes everyone “harbors kind thoughts, speaks kindly, and does good things for the nation.”  

Lai also echoed Han’s suggestion. “He wants to use one word, ‘hua,’ to transform major issues into minor ones, misfortune into fortune. That’s a good foundation. Perhaps after the tea meeting, we can transform misunderstanding into understanding, division into unity, personal interest into national benefit, and conflict into harmony. Let’s all work together toward that goal.”