WASHINGTON: The United States and Taiwan signed a trade deal on Thursday aimed at deepening economic relations between both sides — in a move that has sparked a warning from Beijing.

The US-Taiwan Initia­tive on 21st Century Trade looks to boost trade by streamlining customs che­cks, improving regulatory procedures, and establishing anticorruption measures between the United States and the self-governing island of Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

The pact is “intended to strengthen and deepen the economic and trade relationship” between both sides, USTR spokesperson Sam Michel added in a statement.

China warned Washington earlier on Thursday against signing any pact “with connotations of sovereignty or of an official nature with China’s Taiwan region.”

The United States “must not send the wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces in the name of trade,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a media briefing.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2023