It “will not be long” before Taiwan and the US start negotiations under the Taiwan-US 21st Century Trade Initiative, Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) said on Saturday.
Preparations in Taiwan and the US are proceeding as planned, and the two sides would soon announce the date for the formal beginning of talks, said Deng, Taiwan’s chief trade negotiator.
US National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell on Friday said that US officials are developing an “ambitious road map for trade negotiations” that would be announced “in the coming days.”
Photo: CNA
The first round of negotiations is likely to focus on topics on which the two sides share similar views, such as those related to bilateral ties and issues that have been discussed in detail at WTO and APEC forums, Deng said.
The two sides will hopefully wrap up negotiations before the start of an APEC summit hosted by the US late next year, he said.
The initiative, launched on June 1, seeks to facilitate discussions leading to a trade agreement between Taiwan and the US, with topics ranging from best practices to facilitate trade, digital trade, efforts to fight corruption, small and medium-sized enterprises, environmental protection and nonmarket economies.
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