The government must not describe those who scrutinize its foreign relations as “looking down on Taiwan,” as the nation’s diplomatic predicament is “a plain fact and clear to everyone,” Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) said yesterday.
“Taiwanese were shocked by the news that Taiwan was left out” of the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), Chiu told a news conference in Taipei after the membership of the framework was announced.
“Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) had told the legislature that in principle, Taiwan was likely to be included,” Chiu said. “President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) also spoke of ‘rock solid’ ties with the US.”
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee had also conveyed to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) that Taiwan wished to join the framework, but the request seems to have “been in vain,” he said.
“Taiwan plays a key role in the global semiconductor supply chain, which is consistent with the core focus of the framework, so you can imagine the disappointment at the noninclusion,” he said.
The government would still negotiate with the US about other ways Taiwan could meaningfully participate in the trade framework, and on the possibility that Taiwan and US could work out a bilateral trade agreement, Chiu said.
When Taiwan allowed imports of US pork containing ractopamine six months ago, the government had said it was a necessary step for Taiwan to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) said.
“Today we are still not in the CPTPP, and now we are also excluded from the IPEF. We have eaten the pigs, we have bought the arms, we have passed the budgets, but has the US helped us solve our difficulties?” she asked. “The government should be clear about the state of Taiwan-US relations.”
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