US announces trade talks with Taiwan, much to Beijing's anger
US and Taiwanese officials meet for a meeting in Taipei, during the visit of a US delegation on August 15, 2022. © Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs / via Reuters
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In the midst of tension between China and the United States over the fate of Taiwan, Washington announced on Wednesday August 17 that formal negotiations will begin in the fall with Taipei to strengthen their trade and economic ties.
The reactions in Beijing were quick to condemn this announcement and threaten to respond to it.
Even if their trade is important, no binding trade agreement binds Taipei and Washington.
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For now, the terms chosen are vague and general for these negotiations which will only begin this fall, according to the office of the US Trade Representative.
We are not yet talking about the free trade agreement that some in Taipei are calling for.
Taiwan has not been included in the new Indo-
Pacific Economic Partnership
launched in May by Joe Biden.
This is so as not to put the thirteen other members at odds with Beijing.
The talks are part of the
US-Taiwan 21st Century Trade
Initiative , launched in June by Katherine Kai and Taiwanese Minister John Deng during a virtual meeting.
Already to the great
fury of Beijing
.
Responses to “
market-unfriendly policies and methods
”
Bilateral trade has grown steadily with the island since 1994 and the signing of the trade and investment framework.
In 2020, they peaked at 106 billion dollars, which makes Taiwan the ninth largest trading partner of the United States, thanks in particular to the exports by the island of its technological industry.
In the mandate for negotiations published on Wednesday, Washington proposes to further strengthen its exchanges and to reflect together on responses to "
policies and methods contrary to the market
", which analysts have understood as a reference to China's practices.
Beijing "
strongly opposes
"
Beijing obviously takes a very dim view of this "
new initiative
", which it perceives as a sign of Washington's increased engagement with the Taiwanese government, after the political support and the visit of Nancy Pelosi at the beginning of the month,
reports our correspondent in Beijing,
Stéphane Lagarde
.
Following
the new crisis
, triggered by the trip of the President of the American House of Representatives to Taipei, the showdown between the two leading world powers continues.
“
China firmly opposes trade negotiations between the United States and Taiwan
,” Shu Jueting hammered earlier.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce says that everything will be done to "
safeguard China's sovereignty and safeguard China's interests
".
The New China agency accused the White House once again this weekend of "
playing with fire
", after
the arrival on Sunday August 14 of American parliamentarians on the island
.
For its part, the US administration is announcing "
an ambitious program to conclude high-level trade commitments
" next fall.
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Read also:
What lessons can be learned from Chinese military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait?
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