Beijing expresses outrage after US agrees ‘comprehensive’ trade deal with Taiwan

Washington says trade agreement will ‘strengthen and deepen the economic and trade relationship’ with Taiwan

Taiwan and US representatives participate in a signing ceremony near Washington (Reuters)

Taiwan and the United States have signed a trade deal to strengthen their economic ties, despite furious opposition from China that further threatens ties between Washington and Beijing.

Taipei hailed the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade as “the most comprehensive” trade agreement signed with the US since 1979.

While Taiwan and the US have no formal diplomatic ties, both governments maintain unofficial relations and have billions of dollars in annual trade.

The trade deal includes measures to streamline border procedures under the new framework, which started last year.

“We thank our Taiwan partners for helping us reach this important milestone and look forward to upcoming negotiations on additional trade areas,” a US spokesperson said.

But China said it deplored the deal and urged the US to “stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan” and “refrain from sending wrong signals to the ‘Taiwan independence’ secessionist forces”.

China claims Taiwan is part of its national territory and that the island will be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Beijing discourages other countries from maintaining any kind of foreign relations with Taiwan, even though the island has been self-ruled since it split from the mainland in 1949 following a civil war.

Taiwan has official diplomatic relations with just 13 sovereign nations, but retains robust ties with most major countries, including the US.

The relationship between the US and China has become increasingly strained over recent years as the two superpowers remain deeply divided over issues from the sovereignty of Taiwan to cyber espionage and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The deal was signed ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue, which began in Singapore on Friday and will be dominated by China-US security talks.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu are expected to trade barbs in separate speeches over the weekend, after attempts to organise bilateral talks between the two fell short.