Ignore Beijing: Washington, Taipei should agree fair trade deal, boss of American chamber says
US ally is ‘an important trading partner that should be treated on its own merits, regardless of what other countries might say’, business leader says
The United States should consider the establishment of a trade agreement with Taiwan and hold more high-level exchanges with the self-ruled island, regardless of Beijing’s protestations, a business leader on the island has said.
William Foreman, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, said that as well as opening negotiations on the creation of a bilateral fair trade agreement, the two sides should seek to resume regular talks under the umbrella of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which have been on hold since October 2016.
“Taiwan is an important market and trading partner, and ally of the United States,” Foreman said. “It should be treated for its own merits, regardless of what other neighbouring countries might say.”
With China and the US currently engaged in a tense trade dispute, his comments are unlikely to go down well in Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province. Relations between Taipei and Beijing have also been frosty since Tsai Ing-wen, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, was elected president of Taiwan in 2016.
