A protester holds flags of Taiwan and the United States in support of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a stop after her visit to Latin America in Burlingame, California, U.S., January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
TAIPEI, Aug 18 (Reuters) – The United States and Taiwan have agreed to start trade talks under a new initiative to reach deals with “economically significant results”, with a Taiwanese official saying China’s “economic coercion” will also be discussed.
Washington and Taipei unveiled the US-Taiwan 21st Century Trade Initiative in June, just days after the Biden administration excluded the Chinese-claimed island from its Asia-focused economic plan designed to counter China’s growing influence. Read more
The US Trade Representative’s office said the two sides “reached agreement on the negotiating mandate” and the first round of talks is expected to take place early this fall.
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“We plan to pursue an ambitious schedule to achieve high-level commitments and meaningful results covering the eleven trade areas in the negotiating mandate that will help build a fairer, more prosperous and resilient economy of the 21st century,” U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi said. . said in a statement.
Taiwan’s top trade negotiator, John Deng, told reporters in Taipei that he hoped talks would begin next month, and that it could eventually lead to a free trade deal the island has long sought with the United States.
The negotiating mandate released along with the announcement said the US and Taiwan have set a robust agenda for negotiations on issues such as trade facilitation, good regulatory practices and the removal of discriminatory barriers to trade.
It said that the start of the formal talks would be to reach agreements with “high standard commitments and economically significant results”.
Deng said one issue would be China’s economic coercion, a reference to Beijing’s actions to block trade with countries it is at loggerheads with, such as when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in its capital.
“Its economic coercion targets are not only the United States or Taiwan, it is done to many countries. Its damage to the global economic and trade order is great,” Deng said.
Despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, the United States has been willing to strengthen support for Taiwan, especially as it faces increased political pressure from China to accept its sovereignty claims.
China reiterated its opposition to the new Taiwan-U.S. business initiative.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing that China is opposed to any country signing formal trade agreements with Taiwan, and he called on the United States to end its engagement with the island.
“China will take resolute measures to uphold its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We advise the United States to stop making misjudgments,” he said.
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Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing; Editing by Stephen Coates, Robert Birsel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
How does us benefit from Taiwan?
Taiwan has become an important US partner in trade and investment, health, semiconductor and other critical supply chains, investment supervision, science and technology, education and the advancement of democratic values. The US approach to Taiwan has remained consistent across decades and administrations.
What is the US deal with Taiwan? The TRA requires the United States to have a policy “to provide Taiwan with weapons of a defensive character,” and “to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any means of force or other forms of coercion that would endanger the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
Why does Taiwan trade with the US?
Trade between the United States and Taiwan has grown over the past two years, driven by increased demand for semiconductors, personal protective equipment and other goods as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Why does China not want independence in Taiwan?
The government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) opposes Taiwanese independence because it believes that Taiwan and mainland China consist of two parts of the territory of a single country.
Who owns Taiwan today? Since, according to the PRC, the sovereignty of Taiwan belongs to China, the government and supporters of the PRC believe that the secession of Taiwan should be agreed upon by all 1.3 billion Chinese citizens instead of only the 23 million inhabitants of Taiwan.
How did Taiwan separate from China?
After defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), the Qing government signs the Treaty of Shimonoseki, by which it cedes sovereignty over Taiwan to Japan, which rules the island until 1945. Chinese revolutionaries overthrow the Qing Empire and establishes the ROC.
Why Taiwan is not Recognised as a country?
The United Nations is an international organization composed of sovereign states. Taiwan as a province of China is not qualified at all and is not allowed to participate in it. For the well-known reasons, the Taiwanese authorities illegally usurped China’s UN seat for up to 22 years.
Why did Japan give up Taiwan?
In May 1874, the Qing dynasty began sending troops to reinforce the island. Before the end of the year, the government of Japan decided to withdraw its forces after realizing that Japan was not yet ready for war with China.
When did Japan give up Taiwan? Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1895-1945 and the then Nationalist government of China took over control of the island after Japan lost the war. Japan gained control of the island from imperial China.
Did Japan give Taiwan back to China?
After World War II, Japan returned Taiwan and Penghu Islands to China in accordance with the Cairo Proclamation and the Postsdam Proclamation. The Chinese authorities at the time sent officials to Taipei to receive the Japanese surrender on October 25, 1945, and announced the recapture of Taiwan to the whole world.
Does Taiwan still belong to Japan?
Also as a result of ratification of the Treaty of San Francisco by the United States Congress and Senate, he officially ended the status of Japan as an imperial power, officially ceding the island of Taiwan and Pescadores.
