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Published Date: 2017-07-13
Talks concerning the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between Taiwan and the United States are set to take place in October. The news was confirmed by foreign ministry official Christine Hsueh on Thursday.
Hsueh said US pork imports into Taiwan have been a matter of concern between the two sides.
"In the past, the talks have always taken place around the latter half of the year, around October. Of course bilateral talks like these depend on the schedule of both sides. We will make an announcement when we’re certain of the time," Hsueh said. "Pork imports is an ongoing topic, and one both sides are paying attention to. It will be an ongoing discussion and we hope we can move forward on the matter."
Meanwhile, Hsueh said the foreign ministry says it appreciates US support for Taiwan in the form of proposed naval visits. The proposal has been raised in the Senate’s 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which was recently passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee. However, the head of the American Institute in Taiwan, James Moriarty, said the proposal still has a long way to go to pass. Hsueh said the fact that the matter is being raised is a positive sign.
Meanwhile, the Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs has written to President Trump about changing the name of Taiwan’s representative office in the US. It suggests the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office should be called the Taiwan Representative Office in the US. Hsueh said the foreign ministry office will do all it can to bring about the change if possible. However, Hsueh said there is currently no timetable as to when to formally bring it up with the US government.