US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach is to visit Taiwan to host an economic dialogue next week, online media outlet ETtoday reported yesterday, although government officials refused to confirm a schedule.
The ETtoday report said that Krach is scheduled to visit from Thursday to Saturday next week and host a US-Taiwan Economic and Commercial Dialogue, citing anonymous sources.
The dialogue was first announced by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) on Monday last week in a statement, which said that the US and Taiwan would launch a new “Economic and Commercial Dialogue” platform, which would be hosted by Krach.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) on Wednesday last week confirmed that a dialogue would be held within the next year that would discuss topics such as semiconductors and 5G, strategies in the Indo-Pacific region and supply chain restructuring.
Asked yesterday about Krach’s visit, the AIT said that it could not confirm the schedule.
Wang also said that she could not confirm the details, adding: “The concrete itinerary has not been released yet.”
Asked if supply chain issues would be discussed, Wang replied: “Similar topics, yes. That will be under the purview of the US Department of State.”
However, there would be no discussion about the stalled Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), she said.
“The US Trade Representative [USTR] and the Department of State are in charge of different things. The USTR is the body we talk to about the TIFA, while the state department talks to us about strategic cooperation,” she said, adding that the state department is in charge of the economy and energy.
Wang said that the team to receive the delegation had yet to be determined, but that it would be chosen according to the composition of the visiting delegation.
Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) did not directly confirm that Krach would visit, but did say that the two sides are ironing out the details of the dialogue, such as dates, format and agenda.
The Presidential Office hopes that the high-level talks would take place as soon as possible, Chang added.
Meanwhile, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is also spokesman for the Central Epidemic Command Center, yesterday told a news conference in Taipei that the disease-prevention measures to be taken if Krach visits would be “very similar” to those taken for last month’s visit by US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.
The measures would include self-health management seven days before departure from the US, a negative nucleic acid test three days before departure and another on the day of arrival, Chuang said.
The center would arrange for the delegation to stay at a hotel that meets quarantine regulations, he said.
Members of the delegation, as well as government and AIT officials who come into contact with them, would need to wear a mask throughout the visit, he added.
Additional reporting by CNA
OPTIMISTIC: The DGBAS sharply upgraded its GDP growth estimate from 3.54 percent to 7.71 percent after the Taiwan-US trade agreement signing and given AI optimism The US imported more from Taiwan than China for the first time in decades, as US President Donald Trump’s tariffs reshape trade flows while a global boom in artificial intelligence (AI) fuels demand for tech products. US purchases of goods from China plunged almost 44 percent in December last year from 2024 to US$21.1 billion, US Department of Commerce data showed on Thursday. By contrast, shipments from Taiwan more than doubled during the same period to US$24.7 billion. The soaring Taiwanese shipments to the US reflect the huge expansion in supplies of chips and servers for AI companies, which has completely changed
NON-NEGOTIABLE: The US president’s action ran counter to one of the US’ ‘six assurances’ on not consulting China about arms sales to Taiwan, US lawmakers said US President Donald Trump’s admission that he is discussing arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is “alarming and a blatant violation of US policy and the six assurances,” US Representative Ro Khanna said on Tuesday. Trump on Monday said he would decide soon on whether to send more weapons to Taiwan, after Xi warned him not to do so. “I’m talking to him about it. We had a good conversation, and we’ll make a determination pretty soon,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about warnings raised by Beijing during a phone call with Xi over
The Central Election Commission has amended election and recall regulations to require elected office candidates to provide proof that they have no Chinese citizenship, a Cabinet report said. The commission on Oct. 29 last year revised the Measures for the Permission of Family-based Residence, Long-term Residence and Settlement of People from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民在台灣地區依親居留長期居留或定居許可辦法), the Executive Yuan said in a report it submitted to the legislature for review. The revision requires Chinese citizens applying for permanent residency to submit notarial documents showing that they have lost their Chinese household record and have renounced — or have never
US and Chinese fighter jets briefly faced off above waters near the Korean Peninsula this week, Yonhap News agency reported, marking a rare confrontation in that area between the two superpowers. About 10 US fighter jets on Wednesday departed an airbase in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, for drills above international waters off South Korea’s western coast, the news outlet cited unidentified military sources as saying. While the US planes did not enter China’s air defense identification zone, Beijing scrambled planes as they neared that region, the report said. “The Chinese People’s Liberation Army organized naval and air forces to monitor and effectively respond
RSS