During Monday’s forum, Stilwell was joined by Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) and Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), Tsai wrote on Facebook. The dialogue is to be led by US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach, it added. Since its last meeting in 2016, the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), previously the key trade negotiation platform between Taiwan and the US, has been suspended. TIFA was managed by the Office of the US Trade Representative, which even some US officials complained was slow in advancing trade talks between the two nations, he added. While the new platform would be led by a US undersecretary, the third-highest official in the US Department of State, Taiwan would send a representative higher than the economic minister to head the dialogue, Wang said.

Source: Taipei Times September 01, 2020 15:56 UTC