The likelihood of the US and Taiwan signing a bilateral investment agreement bears further consideration because of an issue related to US pork imports, a US trade official said yesterday in Taipei.
“The issues surrounding beef and pork imports do complicate the ongoing discussions about a bilateral investment agreement,” US Deputy Trade Representative Robert Holleyman told a news conference after the latest round of major trade talks between Taiwan and the US under the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).
The ninth round of the one-day TIFA talks was originally scheduled for April, but was delayed for nearly six months because the US was focusing on its efforts on finalizing negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with other countries, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
Photo: Huang Pei-chun, Taipei Times
Before yesterday’s meeting, Minister of Economic Affairs John Deng (鄧振中) had said several times that the talks would not tackle the issue of US pork imports.
However, media reports say that Taiwan’s ban on US pork imports containing ractopamine remains a priority on the US agenda, while Taiwan continues to express its desire to join the next round of TPP negotiations.
At the news conference, Holleyman said Taiwan should handle food safety measures — including US beef and pork imports — in a way that is based on science and consistent with international standards.
Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Bill Cho (卓士昭) said that Taiwan “will continue to separate permits for importing beef and pork.”
When asked if Taiwan’s ban on US pork imports would affect the US’ stance on Taiwan joining the next round of TPP negotiations, Holleyman said the two sides are facing challenges related to agricultural products.
“I cannot speculate whether the pork issue would affect Taiwan’s joining TPP negotiations,” he said.
However, the US welcomes Taiwan’s efforts on investment liberalization and its interest in joining the next round of TPP negotiations, he said.
Holleyman said that, as the US and its trade partners are focusing on finalizing the current round of TPP negotiations, “it would be premature to discuss the extension of TPP negotiations at the moment.”
When asked if the US would halt the next round of trade talks under TIFA in light of Taiwan’s presidential election next year, Holleyman said: “We fully expect to continue the TIFA talks.”
“It [TIFA] is not something that can be restricted by elections,” he added.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
REBUFFED: In response to Chinese criticism over recent arms sales, Washington urged Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of threats and intimidation Washington’s long-term commitment to Taiwan would not change, the US Department of State said yesterday, urging Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful bilateral dialogues. The remarks came in response to a backlash from Beijing about Washington’s latest approval of arms sales to Taiwan. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US has asked to purchase an arms package, including Tactical Mission Network Software; AH-1W helicopter spare and repair parts; M109A7 self-propelled howitzers; HIMARS long range precision strike systems; tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles; Javelin
RSS