Trade talks between the US and Taiwan concluded

Washington announced on Thursday, April 18, that it had ended trade talks with Taiwan to strengthen ties between the two economies, the final step before signing an agreement, less than a year after the initiative’s launch. After the time, which was strongly criticized by China.

“This achievement represents an important step forward in strengthening the economic relationship between the United States and Taiwan,” US Trade Representative (USTR) Catherine Tai said in the statement.

Referring to these advances on “mutual trade priorities”, he said: “We look forward to continuing these negotiations and finalizing a strong, high-level trade agreement that addresses the economic challenges of the 21st century.” Is”.

a “historic success”

The United States and Taiwan launched bilateral trade talks in June 2022, defying Beijing, which considers the island one of its provinces and refuses to allow it to enter into any official relations with foreign countries .

John Deng, the Taiwanese minister in charge of trade talks, then spoke of “a historic breakthrough”.

Since then, the situation has grown even more tense, with Beijing conducting huge military maneuvers near the island.

The trade agreement, which is expected to be formally signed in the coming weeks, “will deepen commercial partnership and improve trade flows between the United States and Taiwan to foster innovation and inclusive economic growth for workers and businesses.” Will.”, adds the USTR.

The press release states that the goal is to export more American products to Taiwan, “while creating more transparent and streamlined regulatory processes that can facilitate investment and economic opportunity in both markets, especially small and for medium-sized businesses.”

Weapons supplier of USA, Taiwan

The United States and Taiwan have been linked by a “framework” for trade and investment since 1994.

Taipei also joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002, which has contributed to the growth of bilateral trade.

The United States is actually Taiwan’s most important partner and arms supplier.

China watches with displeasure the spat in recent years between Taiwanese officials and the United States, which provides substantial military support to the island despite the absence of official ties.

In a press release, the Presidency of Taiwan welcomed the end of these talks with the United States. He added that the final agreement “will also benefit and serve as a framework for trade agreements with other countries, and strengthen our integration into the international community”.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Washington announced on Thursday a rare visit by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao to the United States next week.

(with AFP)