AmCham Taiwan Chairperson Dan Silver and President Patrick P. Lin pose for pictures during a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan June 6, 2024. REUTERS/Ben Blanchard
Taiwan, a major semiconductor producer, has long campaigned for such a deal, in what would be a strong show of support for the Chinese-claimed island in the face of unrelenting diplomatic and military pressure from Beijing. It says it is a reliable partner for the United States with shared democratic values.
Speaking at the release of its annual White Paper, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan's chairman, Dan Silver, said a significant portion of the building blocks for a free-trade deal will already be formally agreed upon if the"21st Century" agreement is completed. "Our belief is that we know bilateral trade agreements in general do not have the level of support in Washington they once did; we also are aware that there are few places that have a higher level of bipartisan support than Taiwan," said Silver, whose body represents more than 570 companies.