Premier Jiang Yi-huah said in today's Cabinet meeting that the resumption of negotiations for the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) following a six-year hiatus turns a new page in trade relations between Taiwan and the United States.
Jiang noted that this week's talks attracted widespread attention and that they came after a trying yearlong effort by Taiwan to resolve whether the island should accept the importation of beef with traces of ractopamine. Taiwan's previous refusal to do so had prompted the United States to suspend TIFA negotiations in 2008.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Council of Agriculture, Department of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Financial Supervisory Commission and National Communications Commission all contributed to the successful round of bilateral talks on March 10 which came to a smooth and successful completion today.
"The two sides crafted several concrete plans to further their cooperation in the future and established a solid foundation for strengthening the Taiwan-U.S. economic and trade relationship," Jiang said while expressing his approval and gratitude to the agencies.
The premier acknowledged that there are still many items for both sides to discuss and asked each agency for its continued support. "These meetings are only a platform for negotiation, after all," he said. "Bilateral agreements require ministries to work together."
The ultimate goal of the talks is to further liberalize trade with the U.S. and to bring Taiwan's regulatory regime in line with international standards, Jiang said.
The premier asked the MOEA to inform the Executive Yuan if interagency negotiations are necessary to decide government positions and advance the talks.
Minister Chang Chia-juch of the MOEA called the resumption of talks with the U.S. a major breakthrough. He also stated that face-to-face negotiations will become more frequent from here on, with technical-level meetings held every three months and high-level meetings every year. The next round of talks is anticipated to be held next year in Washington, D.C.