The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced Thursday that the US and Taiwan signed the first trade agreement under a new economic initiative that was launched last year.
The deal was signed in Washington by representatives of the US and Taiwan’s respective de facto embassies, the American Institute in Taiwan, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.
The agreement has angered China as Beijing opposes any official cooperation between the US and Taiwan. While the deal was signed by de facto embassies, it was negotiated by USTR officials and Taiwanese trade officials. The trade deal covers trade facilitation, regulatory practices, anticorruption efforts, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
“China strongly opposes official interaction of any form between China’s Taiwan region and countries that have diplomatic relations with China. That includes negotiating or signing any agreement of sovereign implication or official nature,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said before the deal was signed.
She added that the US should “stop official interaction of any form with Taiwan … and stop sending any wrong message to separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ in the name of economy and trade.”
The US has been increasing military and diplomatic support for Taiwan in recent years, steps that Beijing views as a violation of Washington’s one-China policy. Also on Thursday, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu issued a warning to the US and the Democratic Progressive Party, the independence-minded ruling party in Taipei.
According to a Chinese military spokesman, Li said China will “continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and greatest efforts.” But he added Beijing will “never tolerate any attempt by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to seek foreign support for Taiwanese independence, nor will we tolerate any attempt by external forces to use Taiwan to contain China. We will absolutely not promise to renounce the use of force.”
“We are the only ones allowed to be involved in that area of the world!”
Says both sides in their own ways……
The US State Department prefers to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries by sending money to non-governmental organizations that get the work done. Similarly, instead of maintaining an official diplomatic presence in Taiwan (and other countries where doing so would violate signed agreements), unofficial agreements are signed in unofficial venues.
These practices provide a fig leaf for the US Government that allows the State Department to pretend to operate in good faith while simultaneously doing things that demonstrate bad faith.
So, it is not surprising that many nations of the world have come to accept that our agreements aren’t necessarily worth the paper they are written upon.
I honestly don’t understand this suicidal course. It’s like the ruling parasites drank their own coolaid of imperial omnipotence. Even from pro-imperial prospective it’s stupid to wage a war on two fronts. Adolf tried it and it cost Germany not only their empire but decades of occupation and humiliation that continues today.
Lies and propaganda will not feed the people and it will not deter enemy forces. There is no good option for the Ukrainian adventure. Best thing imperials can do is get on their knees and beg Russians for forgives. But obviously there is better chance of our Sun going nova. There is no other way out because Russians have Uncle Shame bent over and they will keep pushing until they will get their results. After they are done cleaning up Ukraine, if imperials are still occupying Europe, they will push harder.
Starting crap with China while the Russians are spanking you is simply insane.
Well said…
“There’s a bull in the China shop”…?
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMmEyOTAzNTQ0OWE2M2JmYWZlMzRjMTIyZTMzZDczNzhiZDljNDcwMCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZzX2dpZklkJmN0PWc/3oKIPzYryo1Q1dtvKo/giphy.gif
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you…”