(Washington) The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved an agreement aimed at strengthening the economic relations of the United States with Taiwan, a vote which risks provoking the ire of Beijing.
To be ratified, the text, described as “historic” by Taipei, must now be validated by the American Senate.
In concrete terms, the agreement signed on 1er June aims to develop trade between Washington and Taipei by harmonizing customs controls, streamlining a series of standards and introducing anti-corruption measures.
Bound since 1994 by “a framework” for trade and investment, the United States is Taiwan’s most important partner and arms supplier.
Washington and Taipei had launched bilateral discussions in June 2022, defying Beijing.
Because China considers that Taiwan, populated by 24 million inhabitants, is one of its provinces which it has not yet succeeded in reuniting with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
She sees with dissatisfaction the rapprochement at work in recent years between the Taiwanese authorities and the United States, which has provided the island with military support against Beijing for several decades.