Photo: ANP
Taiwan was not part of the US Indo-Pacific Economic Prosperity Framework (IPEF) initiative from the start. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. The economic bloc must balance China and target members include Japan and Australia in addition to the United States. Taiwan’s participation is sensitive in China, because Beijing considers the island a breakaway province.
China has long pressured countries to weaken or sever their ties with democratic Taiwan. The United States has been supplying the East Asian island nation with weapons for years. In January, China’s ambassador to Washington said the two superpowers could get involved in a military conflict if Washington encouraged Taiwan independence.
Taiwan itself was happy to participate in the debate on the IPEF. According to Sullivan, the United States wants to deepen its economic partnership with the country, for example in the field of chips.
US President Joe Biden is on his way to Japan. There he will also meet the leaders of India and Australia. Biden is expected to say more about the IPEF this week. Little has been revealed so far about the initiative he took last year.
