China Urges US To Revoke Trade Agreement With Taiwan

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - China has expressed its rejection of any official relations between the United States and Taiwan and urged Washington to revoke a bilateral trade agreement with Taipei.

"The US move violates the principles of one-China and three communicants with China-US, contrary to the US's own commitment to only establishing unofficial relations with Taiwan," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, August 11.

Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden signed Washington's first bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan.

China's foreign ministry said the move could send "misleading messages to separatist forces seeking Taiwan independence".

China is steadfastly determined to maintain its territorial sovereignty and integrity, the statement said.

"We urge the US to immediately change course, withdraw what they call law, stop pushing for various negotiations or initiatives, and stop going further in the wrong direction," he added.

The White House on Monday (7/8) released a statement saying that Biden had signed the US-Taiwan Prekarsa on the Law on the Implementation of the 21st Century Trade First Treaty.

The two sides agreed on the agreement on June 1 after an agreement was reached between an American agency in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US.

The law was signed by Biden a few days after the US Senate approved the law.

China sees Taiwan, which has a democratic government, as a separate province. While Tapei insisted on defending his independence.

Meanwhile, the US said it respected China's longstanding one-China policy. However, the US has frequently made visits to the island, with lawmakers and former US officials traveling regularly to Taiwan.

According to Statista data, the total value of US trade with Taiwan in 2022 will reach US$136 billion (around Rp2,000 trillion).