Taiwan And U.S. Officials Start The Second Round Of Trade Talks In Taipei

Taiwanese and US trade officials began a second round of talks in Taipei on Saturday 14th under a recently launched trade initiative aimed at improving the overall bilateral trade environment. Leading the two sides in the talks under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade are US Assistant Trade Representative Terry McCartin and Office of Trade Negotiations Deputy Trade Representative Yang Jen-ni. McCartin arrived in Taipei on Friday 13th with a delegation of more than 20 US officials and attended a dinner later that day hosted by Minister John Deng, Taiwan’s top trade negotiator. The US delegates are not scheduled to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen or Premier Su Tseng-chang due to “tight schedules,” the official said. Few details have been revealed about this round of talks, but the Office of Trade Negotiations is expected to brief the public on its outcome after the negotiations conclude on Tuesday 17th, the official said. Speaking to local media yesterday morning, Deng said the government prepared well for this round of talks, and he is optimistic about achieving some positive progress. Deng went on to say that among the 11 issues outlined by the initiative, Taiwanese officials would focus on trade facilitation, the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, effective regulatory practices, and anti-corruption measures.