Agreement to Strengthen US-Taiwan Trade Relations... China Expresses Strong Dissatisfaction and Opposition

Simplification of Customs Procedures, Regulatory Improvements, and Logistics Time Reduction
China: "The US Must Cease Official Contacts with Taiwan"

The United States has agreed to strengthen trade relations with Taiwan.

According to Bloomberg on the 18th (local time), Katherine Tai, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), said in a statement that the US has taken an important first step toward strengthening economic relations with Taiwan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Representative Tai stated that this agreement will simplify tariff procedures, improve regulations, and shorten logistics times, expecting that smoother border procedures will allow US companies to access the Taiwanese market quickly at lower costs. She added that negotiations will continue to establish a strong and high-level trade agreement to meet the economic challenges of the 21st century.

The United States is seeking economic cooperation measures with Taiwan, which was excluded from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) involving 13 countries in the Indo-Pacific region, by establishing a separate channel through the "US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade." The initiative was announced by the Joe Biden administration in June last year and, since it does not cover tariffs, it is not a formal free trade agreement but aims to strengthen trade relations with Taiwan.

The US is also discussing issues such as anti-money laundering, whistleblower protection, and denial of entry to foreign officials, and is reportedly requesting Taiwan to adopt tax policies to promote US investment in advanced technologies such as semiconductors.

Meanwhile, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 19th regarding the US-Taiwan Initiative, "China opposes any official exchanges between countries with diplomatic relations and Taiwan in any form," adding, "The US's related actions violate the 'One China' principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition." He further emphasized, "The US must comply with the One China principle and the three China-US joint communiques in practice and must stop official exchanges with Taiwan."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.