United States in favor of Taiwan’s trade offer asks Beijing to stop the pressure

The United States on Friday hailed Taiwan’s record as a candidate for a trans-Pacific trade deal and criticized Beijing for stepping up jet incursions near the island.

Taiwan, an autonomous democracy claimed by Beijing, officially sought on Thursday to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after years of lobbying following Communist China’s application for membership.

The broad trade pact succeeds the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was championed by the United States until the withdrawal of former President Donald Trump in 2017, calling it bad for workers.

President Joe Biden’s administration, which is close to the unions, has made it clear that it is not rushing to join and the State Department has acknowledged that it has no say in Chinese nominations and Taiwanese.

“Having said that, we expect that Taiwan’s record as a responsible member of the World Trade Organization and Taiwan’s strong adherence to democratic values ​​will be factored into the CPTPP party’s assessment of Taiwan as a potential candidate for membership, ”State Department spokesman Ned Price said. journalists.

“We urge Beijing to end its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in a constructive dialogue with Taiwan,” he said.

Taiwan said 24 Chinese planes, including 18 fighter jets and two nuclear-capable bombers, entered the island’s air defense identification area on the day the request was announced.

China, whose defeated nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war, sees the island as a province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

Japan, the largest economy in the 11-country Asia-Pacific accord, welcomed Taiwan’s membership application.