TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The United States said it looks forward to this week’s trade talks with Taiwan as the two countries seek to bolster trade ties.
Taiwan and the U.S. are set to resume trade negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) on Wednesday (June 30). The forum is set to be held virtually due to the pandemic.
“Taiwan is a leading democracy and major economy and a security partner,” White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said during a Monday (June 28) press briefing. “And we will continue to strengthen our relationship across all areas — all the areas we cooperate, including on economic issues.”
“We’re committed to the importance of the U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment relationships,” Psaki added. “And we will continue to strengthen our trade relationship with Taiwan, which is why we are looking forward to the upcoming Trade and Investment Framework Agreement council meeting, which was recently announced.”
Following the news that Washington and Taipei would be resuming TIFA talks, China’s foreign ministry on June 11 stated that Beijing firmly opposes “all forms of official interactions between the U.S. and Taiwan and reject[s] any agreement with implications of sovereignty and of official nature between countries having diplomatic ties with China and the Taiwan region.”
On Monday, Psaki reiterated that support for Taiwan remains “rock solid.” She added, “We have also been clear publicly and privately about our growing concerns about China’s aggressions toward Taiwan. And the PRC has taken increasingly coercive action to undercut democracy in Taiwan.”
The upcoming trade forum will cover a range of topics, including intellectual property protection and the securing of supply chains. The two sides are also expected to discuss current and future trade relations and areas for improvement.