The United States and Taiwan on Wednesday restarted trade talks after five years as Washington moves to boost its ties with the island despite China’s objections.
The talks resumed after the two sides reconvened the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council, which under former US president Barack Obama was in charge of finding ways to deepen commercial relations.
The council last met in 2016 before the election of Donald Trump, who switched gears and focused on reaching a mega-deal with China, although relations between Washington and Beijing deteriorated sharply by the end of his turbulent term.
Wednesday’s talks “focused on enhancing the longstanding trade and investment relationship between the United States and Taiwan”, a statement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative said.
Held virtually, they were co-led by top trade officials from Washington and Taipei.
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