TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Washington D.C.-based think tank Heritage Foundation will host a video seminar Monday night (Aug. 31) that will touch upon Taiwan-U.S. economic ties and trade.
The video seminar, which will be held at 9 p.m. Taiwan time, will feature U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs David R. Stilwell, Ministry of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花), and Taiwan’s Representative to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and will cover the prospects of economic cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) announced on Friday that restrictions on U.S. pork and beef will be loosened starting on Jan. 1, 2021, removing a major obstacle in inking a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S. The two countries had been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement for many years and the import of U.S. pork and beef became a point of contention, Liberty Times reported.
President Tsai’s announcement will serve as the perfect springboard to launch a new wave of negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement and other trade deals with the U.S. Many high-level American officials including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue have all praised the news.
The U.S. Congress has also expressed support for the lifting of restrictions, with Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Corey Gardner calling on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to immediately start trade negotiations with Taiwan.
Democratic Progressive Party and government officials pointed out that the first step in opening trade negotiations and exchanges is the accumulation of trust, saying that Taiwan has shown its determination to deepen economic and trade cooperation with the U.S.