Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen today said that Taiwan is confident it can sign a high-standard trade deal with the United States under a new framework. Ms. Tsai told the US lawmaker delegation during a meeting at the Presidential Office that her country would work with the United States to develop more stronger trade and economic ties. She added that Taiwan has already announced that the negotiations under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade will initiate soon.
In June this year, Washington and Taipei unveiled the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade after the Biden Administration cut out the Chinese-claimed island from its Asia-focused economic plan. Taiwan has long pushed for a broad free trade deal with the United States, its most important international backer and foreign arms supplier even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.