MOFA thanks 50 senators for supporting Taiwan-US trade pact

2020/10/06

Staunch support shown by 50 members of the U.S. Senate for a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
 The MOFA statement of Oct. 2 follows a letter initiated by Sens. Jim Inhofe and Bob Menendez, co-chairs of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, and signed by colleagues from both sides of the aisle. It urges Robert Lighthizer, head of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, to begin the formal process of negotiating a comprehensive trade agreement with Taiwan.
 
“Now is the time to establish trade agreements with like-minded countries in the region,” the senators said. “Given [Taiwan’s] record as a long-standing economic partner and security ally, we … are confident that a U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement would promote security and economic growth for the United States, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific as a whole.
 
“We urge the administration to prioritize a comprehensive trade agreement with Taiwan, and we look forward to working with you to secure this framework.”
 
In a tweet on the MOFA’s official Twitter account, the ministry thanked the senators for the letter and backing closer economic and trade ties between the two sides.
 
 The MOFA said the letter follows a similar document signed by 161 bipartisan members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent to Lighthizer in December 2019. According to the ministry, no effort will be spared in working with relevant agencies and partners in deepening Taiwan-U.S. friendship and expanding economic exchanges on the basis of shared values and robust relations.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)