Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Thursday her country would seek a trade agreement and closer security ties with the United States.The Diplomat
Date: August 14, 2020
By Nick Aspinwall
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar concluded a three-day visit to Taiwan on Wednesday, during which he met with President Tsai Ing-wen along with senior officials including Health Minister Chen Shih-chung and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
The visit precipitated Tsai’s proclamation on Wednesday that Taiwan would pursue closer security ties and a trade agreement with the United States, with whom she said Taiwan’s relationship “has never been closer.”
A trade agreement, she said, has been “hindered by technicalities that account for just a fraction of two-way trade” – a likely reference to Taiwan’s ban on importing U.S. pork and beef due to the use of the feed additive ractopamine, which is banned by about 160 countries.
[FULL STORY]