United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai met virtually with Taiwan Minister-without-portfolio John Deng on Monday.
Tai and Deng reviewed the progress of bilateral trade issues since the two countries held their 11th Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting in June 2021. The two sides also discussed their interest in working together on issues of mutual concern. These include regional issues and multilateral organizations like the World Trade Organization.
It was not revealed if they discussed Taiwan’s desire to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The framework is the United States’s initiative to strengthen economic ties in the region. It is still in its initial stage and is aimed to cover issues outside traditional trade agreements. It will be a platform for talks on economic issues in four major categories: fair and resilient trade; supply chain resiliency; infrastructure and clean energy, and decarbonization; and tax and anti-corruption.