The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed a joint letter by 161 US representatives that urged US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to support signing a Taiwan-US bilateral trade agreement.
While the US and China on Friday last week reached an enforceable agreement on a “phase one” trade deal that requires structural reforms and other changes to China’s economic and trade regime in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfers, agriculture and financial services, the annual meeting on the Taiwan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, the main platform for bilateral talks on trade, has been suspended since it was last held in Washington in October 2016.
More than one-third of the members of the US House of Representatives on Thursday issued a joint letter to Lighthizer, calling for bilateral negotiations between the US and Taiwan on a trade agreement.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuen, Taipei Times
The US’ Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) “has facilitated decades of economic, security and trade relations that have benefited the global community and increased the prosperity of the United Sates and Taiwan. With this in mind, we strongly believe you should work toward beginning negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan,” the letter says.
“As the trade and investment relationship with Taiwan already supports an estimated 373,000 US jobs, working toward the negotiation of a high-standard and comprehensive US-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement would further enhance our shared goal of enhancing the global competitiveness of US industries, while spurring American job creation,” it says.
“For the last four decades, the cornerstones of this relationship have been set forth in the TRA and the ‘six assurances.’ We strongly think that your continued work toward trade agreement negotiations would demonstrate our continued commitment to Taiwan and the region as a whole,” it adds.
The letter was signed by 161 US representatives, including Steve Chabot, Gerry Connolly, Mario Diaz-Balart and Albio Sires — the cochairs of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus.
It was also endorsed by US representatives Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services; Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security; and Eddie Bernice Johnson, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) thanked the US Congress for again demonstrating its strong bipartisan support for Taiwan.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has been promoting “a free and open Indo-Pacific strategy,” which advocates a rule-based international order that hinges on fair and free trade, she said in a statement.
Taiwan is glad to deepen its collaborations with the US, she said, adding that the ministry would continue to advance bilateral trade interactions and partnerships, based on firm and positive foundations.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is set to issue sea and land warnings for Tropical Storm Krathon as projections showed that the tropical storm could strengthen into a typhoon as it approaches Taiwan proper, the CWA said yesterday. The sea warning is scheduled to take effect this morning and the land warning this evening, it said. The storm formed yesterday morning and in the evening reached a point 620 nautical miles (1,148km) southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, moving west-southwest at 4 kph as it strengthened, the CWA said. Its radius measured between 220km and 250km, it added. Krathon is projected
RSS