Taiwan has objected to Britain’s proposed rules for managing its trade in services if it leaves the EU and has requested negotiations at the WTO, according to a document seen by reporters on Wednesday.
Britain in 2016 voted in a referendum to leave the EU, which has spoken for Britain on trade matters ever since the WTO was founded in 1995.
As part of the Brexit divorce, Britain needs its own WTO membership texts, known as schedules, to set out how it will treat its trading partners in goods and services.
Photo: Reuters
Last month, Britain formally submitted its proposed new services schedule to the WTO.
The process would replicate existing arrangements as far as possible and was “only a technical exercise,” British Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox said.
In a document circulated to other WTO members on Wednesday, Taiwan raised objections, saying that the new text made more than purely technical changes.
Taipei looked forward to “entering into consultations expeditiously with the United Kingdom in order to reach a satisfactory resolution to this matter,” the document read.
It cited eight sections where it had objections, mainly clauses that were no longer relevant or necessary.
However, in financial services and aircraft leasing and rental, Taiwan said that the new schedule would leave it with less market access than it had previously.
“Current European Union commitments require European Union member states to allow airlines to lease aircraft registered anywhere in the European Union. However, the United Kingdom has changed this obligation to require United Kingdom airlines to lease aircraft registered in the United Kingdom,” the document read.
“This appears to reduce market access, as the scope of where aircraft may be registered has been reduced. The United Kingdom should delete this limitation,” it added.
Similarly, in financial services, there were several areas where the EU schedule included a requirement for establishment in the EU, the document read.
“The United Kingdom changed ‘EU’ to ‘UK’ for these entries in its draft schedule. This would appear to reduce market access, as it reduces the geographical scope of establishment,” it read.
If Taiwan and potentially other WTO members press Britain for improvements to the text, Fox might need to offer them compensation by opening up trade in other areas, although any such liberalization would apply across the WTO.
Britain is facing similar objections to its goods schedule, with widespread dissatisfaction among agricultural suppliers.
Failing to reach a rapid agreement might be a bureaucratic headache and add to criticism of the Brexit process, but it would not affect the Brexit timetable. Many WTO members trade without finalized schedules, on the understanding that they are trying in good faith to reach an agreement in the meantime.
Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中), head of the Office of Trade Negotiations, yesterday told the Central News Agency that given the uncertainty over Brexit, the proposed schedules would not necessarily be adopted.
However, in the event that the proposed rules are adopted, Taiwan’s rights would therefore be affected and it would then request negotiations, Deng said, adding that most WTO members with trade relations with the UK have also expressed a similar intent.
Additional reporting by CNA
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
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
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
‘ILLEGAL RULING’: The KMT and the TPP slammed the Constitutional Court judgement, saying it contravened the law and was trying to clear the way for a ‘green dictatorship’ The Constitutional Court yesterday ruled that amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed by the Legislative Yuan last year are unconstitutional, as they contravene due legislative process and separation of powers. The Legislative Yuan on Dec. 20 last year passed amendments stipulating that no fewer than 10 grand justices must take part in deliberations of the Constitutional Court, and at least nine grand justices must agree to declare a law unconstitutional. The Executive Yuan on Jan. 2 requested that lawmakers reconsider the bill, but the Legislative Yuan, under a combined majority of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party
RSS