Canada Abandons Free Trade Talk with China
Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, pointed out in a recent newspaper interview that "the China of 2020 is not the China of 2016". The environment does not favour trade negotiations at the moment and Canada has decided to halt talks with China.
In 2016, state visits took place between the two nations renewing the China-Canada relations and starting trade talk. Since then, Canada arrested Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou while China imprisoned former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor. China and Canada returned to a tense relationship. Champaign pointed out in the interview that his first mission was to bring the two Canadian citizens back. Trade negotiation was no longer worth continuing.
Being a member in G7, Canada continues to pressure China on human rights issues. Canada has since suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong since the National Security Law came into effect.
Source: Apple Daily #Sep19
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200919/DMJKLFTZY5FOBCEX3BC5D6Y6QM/
#China #Canada #TradeNegotiation #FrancoisPhilippeChampagne #ForeignAffairs
Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, pointed out in a recent newspaper interview that "the China of 2020 is not the China of 2016". The environment does not favour trade negotiations at the moment and Canada has decided to halt talks with China.
In 2016, state visits took place between the two nations renewing the China-Canada relations and starting trade talk. Since then, Canada arrested Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou while China imprisoned former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor. China and Canada returned to a tense relationship. Champaign pointed out in the interview that his first mission was to bring the two Canadian citizens back. Trade negotiation was no longer worth continuing.
Being a member in G7, Canada continues to pressure China on human rights issues. Canada has since suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong since the National Security Law came into effect.
Source: Apple Daily #Sep19
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200919/DMJKLFTZY5FOBCEX3BC5D6Y6QM/
#China #Canada #TradeNegotiation #FrancoisPhilippeChampagne #ForeignAffairs
50 US Senators urged US-Taiwan Trade Agreement to counterbalance China's economic dominance in Indo-Pacific Region
A total of fifty US Senators from the Republican and the Democratic Parties, accounting for more than half of the Senate, sent a joint letter to the US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday [01 October]. The letter states that Taiwan is a long-term economic partner as well as a safe ally of the US, and called for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between two countries as soon as possible. This is part of the from the Congress to the US government to counter China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan expressed gratitude to the US Congress for showing bipartisan support for Taiwan once again.
42 Republican Party Senators and 8 Democratic Party Senators participated in the joint petition, including the co-chairs of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, James Inhofe and Robert Menendez along with US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chairman, Jim Risch. The letter stated that they believed this is the time to negotiate trade agreements with like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region. A time when the US was seeking to promote an initiative for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Therefore, they strongly recommend having formal trade agreement negotiations with Taiwan.
The letter also stated that Taiwan is the 11th largest trade partner with the US, showing the ability to maintain its economic partnership with the US. Also, Taiwan is supporting approximately 208,000 jobs in the US and this number could increase after the signing of a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement.
#Taiwan #US #TradeNegotiation #Economy #USCongress #USsenators #JointStatement
Source: Apple Daily #Oct02
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201002/JEPPYE7VURB3LPUXYNMPEXVST4/
A total of fifty US Senators from the Republican and the Democratic Parties, accounting for more than half of the Senate, sent a joint letter to the US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday [01 October]. The letter states that Taiwan is a long-term economic partner as well as a safe ally of the US, and called for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between two countries as soon as possible. This is part of the from the Congress to the US government to counter China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan expressed gratitude to the US Congress for showing bipartisan support for Taiwan once again.
42 Republican Party Senators and 8 Democratic Party Senators participated in the joint petition, including the co-chairs of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, James Inhofe and Robert Menendez along with US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chairman, Jim Risch. The letter stated that they believed this is the time to negotiate trade agreements with like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region. A time when the US was seeking to promote an initiative for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Therefore, they strongly recommend having formal trade agreement negotiations with Taiwan.
The letter also stated that Taiwan is the 11th largest trade partner with the US, showing the ability to maintain its economic partnership with the US. Also, Taiwan is supporting approximately 208,000 jobs in the US and this number could increase after the signing of a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement.
#Taiwan #US #TradeNegotiation #Economy #USCongress #USsenators #JointStatement
Source: Apple Daily #Oct02
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20201002/JEPPYE7VURB3LPUXYNMPEXVST4/