The George W. Bush administration has ruled out any negotiations toward a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan until Taipei satisfies Washington's demands for concessions on a number of trade issues causing tensions between the two sides, a senior US official said on Tuesday.
The remarks would seem to put to rest any hopes for early progress on Taiwan's efforts to convince the US to negotiate an FTA.
The position was laid out by a trade official, speaking on condition of anonymity, at a press briefing to publicize the US Trade Representative Office's 2003 report on trade barriers affecting US industries around the world.
Asked about the possibility of talks on an FTA, the official said, "We have a number of outstanding bilateral concerns" with Taiwan.
"Some directly impact on their WTO commitment," the official said, referring to Taiwan's commitments it undertook when it joined the WTO on Jan. 1 last year.
"Some are just broader bilateral trade irritants," she said.
"And our view is that we should resolve these issues and receive assurances from Taiwan that it is going to live up to its current commitments before we embark on any new talks or negotiations to secure additional commitments from them," the official said.
She singled out intellectual property piracy, rice trade and telecommunications as particularly difficult issues.
"We're expecting them to deliver on these issues," she said. "So, we've made it very clear to Taiwan what we would expect them to do in each of these areas. And, we're hoping progress can be made in the coming months."
It is believed to be the first time recently that the administration has publicly spoken about the prospects of an FTA with Taiwan.
US officials would not discuss Taiwan's status under the so-called "Special 301" section of US trade law.
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