US-China relations: Taiwan trade deal on Donald Trump’s radar, American lawmaker says

Republican group led by Michael McCaul says talks with Taipei would be an ‘important foreign policy statement to make’ and help hold Beijing accountable for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak

Taiwan has long sought a free-trade agreement with the US, its most important supporter on the international stage

2-MIN READ2-MIN

US congressman Michael McCaul says a trade deal with Taiwan would help hold Beijing accountable for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:36pm, 30 Sep 2020Updated: 7:53pm, 30 Sep 2020

A group of Republican lawmakers seeking to counter national security and economic threats from mainland China is calling for the United States to open trade talks with Taiwan, a plan which is “very much” on the radar screen of the Trump administration, according to the congressman who leads the group.

Representative Michael McCaul, who chairs the China task force launched by House of Representatives Republicans earlier this year, said such negotiations would be “an important foreign policy statement to make”, and help hold Beijing accountable for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which has drawn fire from President Donald Trump.

“It is very much on their radar screen,” McCaul said when asked if the Trump administration and its top trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, would pursue a deal.

“I don’t think that Lighthizer has 100 per cent approved it, but … it is one of the options on the table for them and I think a recommendation coming from the task force would carry a lot of weight.”

A group of Republican lawmakers is calling for the United States to open trade talks with Taiwan. Photo: Reuters

The proposal is one of 400 recommendations outlined in a report set to be released later on Wednesday by the task force.