Taiwan, U.S. to hold major trade talks in Washington

Taiwan and the United States will hold their latest round of talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in Washington next week, which are expected to cover a wide range of trade and investment issues, in an effort to advance bilateral trade ties.

The talks are slated for Oct. 4, and the discussions will focus on priority issues to improve U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment ties, including intellectual property rights protection, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, investment, agriculture, and technical barriers to trade, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement Friday.

The two sides will also discuss regional and multilateral cooperation, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said.

Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (???) will lead the Taiwan delegation, which will include officials from several government agencies, such as the Council of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the MOEA, the ministry said.

The U.S. delegation will be headed by Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Robert Holleyman and will include officials from the U.S. departments of state, agriculture and commerce, as well as the AIT.

The annual TIFA meeting plays a critical role in strengthening the U.S.'s "robust commercial ties with Taiwan and covers the broad range of trade and investment issues important to stakeholders in the U.S. and Taiwan," said the AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The TIFA, signed in 1994, is the primary mechanism for dialogue on trade between the U.S. and Taiwan, and provides an opportunity for both sides to discuss how to expand trade and investment links and deepen cooperation.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel