Taiwan, United States to hold trade talks on Monday

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan and the United States will hold trade talks on Monday under a newly agreed framework, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative said.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi will meet the island’s top trade negotiator, John Deng, to discuss an initiative on 21st-century trade, her office said, without providing details.

The initiative was unveiled this month, just days after the Biden administration excluded the Chinese-claimed island from its Asia-focused economic plan designed to counter China’s growing influence, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF.

Taiwan still hopes to eventually seal a free trade deal with the United States, Deng told Reuters.

The United States does not have official ties with Taiwan, a major producer of semiconductors, but has been stepping up engagement as China seeks to isolate it from global institutions.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)