ISTANBUL 

Taiwan's two main opposition parties sought a free trade pact with the US on Tuesday as they slammed the ruling party for US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Taipei during a leaders' summit, according to state-run Focus Taiwan.

Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) leader Huang Kuo-chang discussed the island's economic problems and the "democratic crisis" in the nation during a "Returning Democracy to Taiwan" summit.

The summit was organized to address issues such as US tariffs, judicial and parliamentary reforms and the recent political recall efforts.

Chu said the tariffs are tools for Trump since the US president is focused on solving his country's exchange rate and debt crises which could cause Taiwan "serious challenges."

The US imposed a 32% tariff on imports from Taiwan on April 2, which was later paused for 90 days but he kept in place a base 10% tariff. Computers, smartphones and semiconductors were exempted on April 11.

Chu said that even though Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te announced plans to increase investment in the US in March, it has not helped the island be exempted from the tariffs.

He questioned what Taiwan was "getting in return" for the substantial investments that were pledged.

Chu suggested that both sides should ink a free trade agreement to lessen the negative effects of the tariffs.

"International trade cannot withstand volatile uncertainties. The opposition will give the ruling party its firmest support in voicing our shared demand to the US: Treat Taiwan as its true ally and sign an FTA," said Chu.