The president of US-Taiwan Business Council, Rupert Hammond-Chambers, says that the United States can help ease the current political storm in Taiwan.
Hammond-Chambers made the comments in an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. He was referring to the student occupation of the legislature in Taiwan. Students took over the legislature more than two weeks ago in protest of the trade in services pact with China.
Supporters of the pact say that it will help Taiwan join regional trade blocs, while critics fear that the agreement will give China too much influence over Taiwan.
In the opinion piece, Hammond-Chambers said that US and Taiwanese officials could announce on Friday their intention to begin negotiations on a Bilateral Investment Agreement. He said such an agreement would put the US in a better position to support Taiwan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Hammond-Chambers said by declaring such support for Taiwan, Washington can ensure that “Taiwan’s domestic debate on China policy takes place not just in the shadow of a rising China”.