Twenty-three U.S. House members sent a letter to President Biden urging the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan. (Photo credit: Biden Facebook)
U.S. Rep. McLean and 23 other members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden on the 22nd, calling for the initiation of the FTA negotiation and signing process with Taiwan. The letter said the FTA would allow the U.S. to counter the economic influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific region. (Photo credit: Twitter/RepLisaMcClain)
U.S. Republican Representatives Lisa McClain, John Curtis, Ashley Hinson, and Young Kim sent a letter to President Biden on the 18th, expressing their hope that the “Taiwan-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement” (TIFA) will be implemented. “(TIFA) framework and Taiwan as soon as possible to start the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiation and signing procedures.
In the letter, the lawmakers said that since the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, liberal and democratic Taiwan has been a staunch ally of the United States in countering Chinese Communist Influence and military expansion in Southeast Asia.
The lawmakers pointed out in their letter that Taiwan is currently one of the top trading partners of the United States, and that the formal signing of the FTA will bring strong economic benefits to both countries, increasing opportunities for U.S. agriculture and manufacturing, as well as expanding U.S. access to Taiwan’s Food and energy industries, and better protection for the intellectual property rights of U.S. companies.
In addition, for U.S. companies, Taiwan is one of the global manufacturing centers for high-end electronic products, so the investment opportunities in Taiwan are quite favorable. The letter also appreciates TSMC‘s decision to set up a factory in the U.S. The multi-billion dollar investment plan will not only create thousands of middle-class jobs, but will also attract a large amount of indirect investment. The letter emphasized that “if the U.S. and Taiwan sign the FTA, TSMC’s investment case could be replicated throughout the United States.”
In addition to the large economic benefits, the letter also points out that a U.S.-Taiwan FTA could also bring security benefits. After the Chinese Communist Party quickly became public enemy number one to the United States and its allies around the world, Taiwan’s economic growth has been forced to rely on investment from China over the past few decades, and the outside world has seen how Beijing has used economic investment to expand its influence.
A U.S.-Taiwan FTA would strengthen U.S. efforts in the Indo-Pacific region to counter Chinese economic influence in the region and demonstrate to regional allies that the United States is devoting energy and resources to their security and prosperity. In addition, the economic commitment would also provide a multiplier for U.S. military deployments and give regional allies the courage to resist the Chinese Communist Party through multilateral efforts.
The letter concluded with a renewed call to Biden to formally start the FTA negotiation process with Taiwan as soon as possible, as “the U.S. economy, national security, and even the future depend on it.
In response, Taiwan legislator Wang Dingyu said he appreciated the long-standing support of the U.S. Congress for Taiwan, and that this joint signing was part of a wave of actions that led to the signing of the FTA between Taiwan and the United States. He understands that the FTA involves the “Give and Take” of economic projects between the two countries, and is a competition between individual domestic economic projects and the overall economic interests of the country.
Wang Dingyu said, Taiwan-US diplomatic relations have warmed up to the highest peak in 40 years, but the FTA negotiations still need more details to negotiate, he believes that the United States and Taiwan will eventually complete the signing of the FTA, but still need a little Time.
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