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Despite threats from China: USA and Taiwan want to further strengthen cooperation

2022-08-18T16:29:46.879Z


Despite threats from China: USA and Taiwan want to further strengthen cooperation Created: 08/18/2022, 18:26 By: Sven Hauberg China's threats aren't stopping Taiwan and the US from working ever closer together. Both countries have now announced that they want to cooperate more closely on trade issues. Munich/Washington/Taipei - For China's political leadership, the summer holidays came to an e


Despite threats from China: USA and Taiwan want to further strengthen cooperation

Created: 08/18/2022, 18:26

By: Sven Hauberg

China's threats aren't stopping Taiwan and the US from working ever closer together.

Both countries have now announced that they want to cooperate more closely on trade issues.

Munich/Washington/Taipei - For China's political leadership, the summer holidays came to an end this week: For two weeks, head of state and party leader Xi Jinping and other current and former members of Beijing's top management team came together for their traditional summer vacation in the seaside resort of Beidaihe - to share Splashing about in the sea and conspiratorial background talks.

The recovery was probably necessary, because no sooner had we returned to the capital than new ill feelings with the United States threatened. On Thursday, the governments in Washington and in Taiwan's capital Taipei announced that they wanted to start formal trade talks as part of a new initiative.

The first round is scheduled to take place in "early fall," according to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai's office.

Both sides wanted to deepen trade and investment relations.

Taiwan's capital, Taipei, is the country's economic and political center.

© Imago

For China, rapprochement with Taiwan is taboo

Any approach by another country to Taiwan is taboo for Beijing: The People's Republic regards the democratically governed island state as part of its own territory and has been threatening to conquer Taiwan militarily for years.

As part of its "One China Policy," Beijing would like to ban all contacts between foreign governments and Taipei - but this hasn't really worked out lately. First, Parliament Vice President Nicola Beer, the highest-ranking EU representative to date, visited Taiwan.

A little later, Nancy Pelosi, Chair of the US House of Representatives, flew to Taipei.

Last Monday, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen received five US congressmen led by Democratic Senator Ed Markey in the presidential palace.

China and Taiwan: That's what the conflict is about

View photo gallery

After Pelosi visit: China reacts with military maneuvers around Taiwan

Beijing reacted more furiously to Pelosi's visit than it had in decades.

The People's Republic held military maneuvers around Taiwan that lasted significantly longer than initially announced.

Among other things, a sea and air blockade and a possible conquest were practiced.

Eleven ballistic missiles were also launched, one of which flew directly over Taiwan for the first time - and not far from the capital.

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China later announced more maneuvers: The People's Liberation Army would hold air and sea drills around Taiwan to deter the US and Taiwan, Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said.

China's military will continue to "prepare for war", defend China's sovereignty and crush Taiwan separatism and foreign meddling attempts.

China and Taiwan: US announce 'calm but firm action'

China's recent military maneuvers are part of a campaign to "intimidate, coerce and undermine Taiwan's resilience," Washington's top East Asia envoy Daniel Kritenbrink said Thursday.

Beijing's words and actions are "deeply destabilizing" and threaten security in the Taiwan Straits.

Washington will respond with "calm but firm action" to keep the Taiwan Straits open and peaceful.

The US has not maintained official diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1979, but supports the government in Taipei with arms deliveries.

The trade talks, the start of which has now been announced, are intended to strengthen unofficial relations between the two countries.

Washington and Taipei had already presented the US-Taiwan initiative on trade in June.

The negotiations are being conducted under the umbrella of the unofficial representations of both sides: the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representation (Tecro) in Washington.

"We plan to pursue an ambitious roadmap," the US Trade Representative's office said.

USA and Taiwan emphasize common values ​​- China reacts to Pelosi's visit with an import ban

The respective trade priorities are to be promoted on the basis of shared values ​​and innovation and inclusive growth are to be promoted.

It should be about trade facilitation, regulatory issues, the fight against corruption and more trade between small and medium-sized companies and agricultural goods.

Washington also mentioned the elimination of disadvantages, digital trade, environmental and labor standards and practices that distort competition.

Taiwan wants to strengthen its economic capabilities and attract more investment from the United States and other countries.

It also wants to join other trade pacts in the future, according to the Taipei Office for Trade Talks (OTN).

The Asia-Pacific free trade agreement CPTPP was expressly mentioned here.

Taiwan's President Tsai spoke on Twitter of "an important step" for trade relations between the two countries.

"I will continue to promote mutual economic cooperation based on our common values."

In response to Pelosi's visit, China had also halted imports of hundreds of agricultural products from Taiwan, as well as mainland sand shipments vital to the island, to increase pressure on Taipei.

"Through economic cooperation, Taiwan and the US can work together to resist China's economic coercion," Cabinet Spokesman Lo Ping-cheng said of the trade talks.

China's economy is suffering from corona lockdowns and extreme heat

In the People's Republic, meanwhile, concerns are growing that the economy will cool down further.

On Tuesday, Premier Li Keqiang said during a visit to the southern Chinese high-tech metropolis of Shenzhen that the country's economy is currently having to fight "shocks beyond expectations".

"Now is the most critical moment for economic recovery," said the prime minister, according to official sources.

Above all, China's adherence to the zero-Covid strategy, which repeatedly leads to lockdowns of entire cities, is a burden on the country's economic development.

In addition, parts of the country are currently suffering from extreme heat.

In the western province of Sichuan, where many Chinese and foreign companies have manufacturing bases, power to factories has been rationed.

Due to the high temperatures in the province with 84 million people, the power consumption for air conditioning is currently very high, while at the same time the hydroelectric power plants supply little electricity.

Sichuan normally obtains 80 percent of its electricity from hydroelectric power, which also supplies industrial areas on the east coast.

Beijing recently reported growth of just 0.4 percent for the second quarter of the year compared to the same period last year.

According to experts, the growth target of 5.5 percent announced in spring is no longer achievable.

(sh/dpa/AFP) 

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-08-18

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