The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) says it welcomes Taiwan’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is a US-led free trade agreement now being negotiated among 12 countries.
The USTR said on Friday it has noticed the Ma Ying-jeou administration’s plan for domestic economic reforms and Taiwan’s willingness to meet TPP pledges.
On the issue of whether the recent protests against a trade in services agreement with China will affect the US view on Taiwan’s determination to liberalize its economy, the USTR said that it supports Taiwan’s dynamic democracy. It also said that the trade in services agreement is an issue between China and Taiwan, and that it hopes the agreement can be discussed in a peaceful way.
The USTR also declined to answer the question of whether Taiwan’s opening up to US pork imports will be a precondition for US support for Taiwan’s TPP bid.