Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford says Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in Brussels won’t impact Taiwanese exports. He was speaking Wednesday at the Legislature.
Three coordinated bombings took place Tuesday at an airport and a metro station in Brussels, Belgium, killing 31 and leaving over 250 injured. When asked about the impact the attacks could have on Taiwan’s economy, Chang said that Taiwan’s exports are affected mostly by the flow of international funds.
However, Chang said that while terrorist attacks don’t have a direct impact on Taiwan’s economy, they will cause significant social unrest.
“The social unrest [caused by terrorist attacks] clearly has consequences on an international level such as [more rigorous] flight safety checks which will cause much inconvenience. I think incidents like this will become a trend, and cause a lot of grief. But from an economic stand point, it doesn’t have the same impact as past economic tsunamis or recessions," said Chang.
Wang Li-ling, head of the Financial Supervisory Commission, has also said that the Brussels attacks have had little impact on Taiwan’s economy now that the international stock market is stable.