China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly opposes “U.S. commitment”
The United States and Taiwan signed the first bilateral trade agreement since the severance of diplomatic ties amid fierce opposition from China, which the Chinese government strongly protested, calling it a “violation of promises.”
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 2nd, Spokesperson Maoning said in a political briefing that day, “China opposes any form of official exchange, including signing official agreements with Taiwan, between diplomatic partners.”
“The US government and Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party promoted negotiations and signed an agreement on the so-called ‘US-Taiwan Initiative on Trade in the 21st Century’, which seriously violated the ‘One China Principle’ and the contents of the United States-China Alliance Bulletin,” Mao said. Emphasized.
He said, “This goes against the promise made by the US side to maintain only informal relations with Taiwan.”
Spokesman Mao said, “This idea is in fact the United States handing over the ‘exploitation baton’ to Taiwan under the pretext of economic cooperation, and the Democratic Progressive Party sells (all) the interests of its compatriots in Taiwan for its own interests.” is the latest example of neutralizing the
“We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three United States-China joint communiqués and suspend any form of official exchange with Taiwan,” he said. pointed out
He also warned that “(the United States) must stop sending false signals from the separatists in Taiwan,” and “otherwise, the United States will be fully responsible for all the consequences of the issues caused by it.”
Earlier, on the 1st (local time) in Washington, D.C., Ingrid Larson, executive director of the American Association in Taiwan (AIT), which is equivalent to the US embassy in Taiwan, and Meiqin Xiao, representative of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, held a meeting on the “US-Taiwan Initiative on Trade in the 21st Century”. signed the first agreement under
Sarah Bianchi, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Deputy Representative, and Taiwan Economic and Trade Negotiation Office Representative Deng Zhenzhong watched the signing ceremony.
The US-Taiwan initiative was announced by the Biden administration in June of last year, and although it is not a formal free trade agreement (FTA) because it does not deal with issues such as tariffs, it aims to strengthen trade relations between the two sides.
The Taiwan Economic and Trade Negotiation Office, which is the main body of the agreement, said, “This agreement has five agendas: customs administration and trade convenience, good legislative work, service industry domestic regulation, anti-corruption, and small and medium-sized businesses, as well as labor, environment, agriculture, and digital issues to be negotiated in the future. It included seven agendas for follow-up negotiations, including trade, standards, state-owned businesses, and non-market policies and practices.”
The Pangongsil further added, “Not only the agenda of global interest in the field of economy and trade, but also content related to high-level trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) were included in the agreement.”
“The trade agreement signed by Taiwan and the US today is the step-by-step result of the largest and most comprehensive trade negotiations between Taiwan and the US since 1979 (when the US severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan),” said Deng Zhenzhong, head of the Office of Public Affairs and Communications. did.
He also emphasized, “(This agreement) is not only a historical milestone in economic and trade relations between Taiwan and the United States, but also an important step towards the conclusion of a trade agreement (FTA) between Taiwan and major trading countries.”
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen also said, “Today’s agreement is the most structured trade agreement between Taiwan and the United States since 1979, laying more groundwork for the future development of bilateral trade.” It was a step forward,” he said.
President Tsai said, “This agreement included seven agendas for follow-up negotiations,” adding, “It laid a more stable foundation for concluding an FTA with the United States.” I look forward to it,” he added.
“This agreement seeks to strengthen and deepen economic and trade relations between the two sides,” USTR spokesperson Sam Michel said in a statement.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.