Taiwan negotiator appeals to US to not forget Taipei’s free trade deal hopes

Taiwan’s top trade negotiator John Deng appealed to the United States on June 7, 2022, not to forget that the island wants a free trade deal with the US. Ahead of his planned trip to Washington at the end of June for talks with senior US officials, trade envoy John Deng said that Taipei is “very realistic” and knows that a free-trade agreement is not something that can be achieved in the short term but that “building blocks” can be established first. Taiwan has long campaigned for such a deal, which would be considered a strong show of support for the island. Deng also made reference to Taipei’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Taiwan has faced unrelenting diplomatic and military pressure from mainland China, which the island a wayward province that must be brought back to the mainland fold, by force if necessary.