The Australian is reporting that a recent video conference between the Australian trade minister and Taiwan’s economics minister bodes well for the prospects of future bilateral free trade negotiations.
Previous talks about a possible free trade agreement with Taiwan were halted due to pressure from China. However, on July 1, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan held a video conference with Taiwanese Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua, during which they discussed topics including the possibility of future exports of Australian hydrogen energy to Taiwan.
In a report Thursday, The Australian said the virtual meeting showed the Australian government’s renewed willingness to reach a free trade agreement with Taiwan. The report noted how closely the meeting followed the resumption of US-Taiwan trade talks. It also noted that Taiwan is the only one of Australia’s top ten trade partners that has not signed a free trade agreement with Canberra.
Though Tehan himself did not comment on the possibility of a free trade agreement with Taiwan, The Australian article says that a number of unnamed Australian officials believe that concluding such an agreement is a “no-brainer".