Why does the US's one China policy concern the U.S.-Taiwan

【雙魚之論】英文拷到 G / D 找中文翻譯
The US and Taiwan have reached five agreements, including those covering the areas of customs administration and trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, domestic regulation of services, anticorruption, and small and medium-sized enterprises, on May 18 under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade. The complete set of agreements may include twelve areas of cooperation, such as trade facilitation, regulatory measures, anticorruption efforts, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, digital trade, labor, environment, agriculture, state-owned enterprises, non-market behaviors, and domestic regulations in the service sector.
I am interested in understanding why the economic relations between the US and Taiwan fall under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, while the US engages with countries in the Indo-Pacific region through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).
Furthermore, the US authorities stress that these agreements are "in accordance with the United States' one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances."
What is the relevance of the US’s one China policy to the economic relations between Taiwan and the United States?

美國和台灣在5月18日根據「美台21世紀貿易倡議」達成了包括海關管理和貿易便利化、良好監管實踐、國內服務業規範、反貪腐以及中小型企業在內的五項協議。整個協議框架可能包括12項合作領域，如貿易便利化、監管措施、反貪腐、中小型企業、數字貿易、勞工、環境、農業、國營企業、非市場行為、服務業國內規範等。
我對於為什麼美國和台灣的經濟關係屬於「美台21世紀貿易倡議」，而美國與印太地區國家的經濟關係則屬於「印太繁榮經濟框架」（IPEF）感到興趣。
此外，美國當局強調這些協議是「根據美國的一中政策進行的，該政策受到《台灣關係法》、中美三個聯合公報和六項保證的指導」。台灣與美國之間的經濟關係與「一個中國政策」有何關聯？

美國貿易代表戴琪(Katherine Tai)星期四(5月18日)宣布，美國與台灣在美國在台協會(AIT)與駐美國台北經濟文化代表處(TECRO)的主持下，完成了有關美台21世紀貿易倡議的談判。

按照這項倡議達成的第一項協議所涵蓋的領域包括海關管理和貿易便捷化、良好監管實踐、服務業國內規章、反貪腐和中小企業。美國貿易代表辦公室的聲明說，通過這些協議條款，美國公司將能夠把更多產品帶入台灣和台灣顧客，同時建立更加透明和簡化的監管程序，能夠為雙方市場的投資和經濟機會帶來便捷，特別是為中小企業帶來便捷。美國貿易代表辦公室說，一旦簽署，這項協議將深化貿易夥伴關係，並加強美國與台灣的貿易流通，推動創新，促進包容性的經濟增長，既造福於員工又有利於公司企業。

美國貿易代表戴琪在聲明中說：“這項成就代表著加強美台經濟關係的一個重要步驟。它展示了我們如何能夠一道共事，並為了我們的人民推動共同的貿易優先事項。我們盼望著繼續這些談判，並最後敲定一項強有力和高標準的貿易協議，應對21世紀的緊迫經濟挑戰。”

雙方2022年8月正式啟動了美台21世紀貿易倡議談判，不到一年便達成了協議。

美國貿易代表辦公室說，美在台協會和駐美台北代表處今後幾個星期將簽署協議的英文和中文版本。簽署儀式的細節將在今後公佈。

美國貿易代表辦公室說，在簽署協議後，美國和台灣在美在台協會和駐美台北代表處的主持下，將開始就該倡議的談判授權所闡明的更多貿易領域進行談判。

美國和台灣政府星期四(3月16日)同步公開《21世紀貿易倡議》第一輪談判摘要，除了讓外界了解雙方的談判內容和進度外，也可望在五個彼此在一月面對面談判已達成共識的5個“早期收穫”議題上簽署協議。

美國貿易代表辦公室在一個聲明中說，在拜登-哈里斯政府致力於對貿易協定談判保持最高級別透明度的承諾下，該辦公室公佈今年1月14到17日在台北第一輪談判中美方提出的方案。

聲明說，談判摘要詳述了美方在幾個章節中提出的建議，包括關務管理、貿易便利化、良好法製作業、服務業國內監管、反腐及中小企業等議題。

聲明還提到，這個談判是在美國在台協會(AIT)與駐美國台北經濟文化代表處(TECRO)的主持下進行，這些談判摘要“實現了依據2022年8月建立的貿易授權，雙方追求通過一個雄心勃勃的貿易倡議來加強並深化彼此貿易關係的共同承諾。”

此外，聲明也指出，這些貿易談判的進行是依據美國受《台灣關係法》、美中聯合公報及“六項保證”指引的一個中國政策。

美國國務院亞太事務助理國務卿康達(Daniel Kritenbrink)這個星期在華盛頓智庫東西方中心的一場演講中也提到，美國在與印太地區13個發展最快的經濟體協商《印太經濟框架》(IPEF)協議時，也同時與台灣啟動了類似的《21世紀貿易倡議》，“那將加強我們與又一個主要地區夥伴的商務關係。”

台灣行政院經貿談判辦公室同日發布的聲明說，美台自去年6月啟動《21世紀貿易倡議》以來已歷經多次視訊會議及去年11月、今年1月的兩次面對面會議，雙方在關務管理、貿易便捷化、良好法製作業、服務業國內規章、飯貪腐及中小企業等5項議題進行充分討論。

聲明說，五項議題的“談判進度良好”，內容對於強化政府治理、增進行政透明、尊重民間社團等方面與台灣目前相關政策方向一致、相互吻合。

台灣的中央社援引不具名台灣行政院官員的話報導說，由於各界關注此一倡議的進度，因此台美共商在簽署協定前分別對外說明談判內容與重點，在倡議一共12個議題中，由於雙方在上述五項議題已有共識，因此也“有望先簽署行政協定”，至於行政協定的簽署時間，官員說，目前雙方還在就最終文字進行溝通，等文字確定後就會安排簽署。

美國貿易代表辦公室1月中派出了負責中國事務的助理貿易代表特里·麥卡廷(Terry McCartin)率領美國政府機構及國會共20多名代表赴台參加談判，台灣經貿談判辦公室總談判代表鄧振中當時在談判後記者會上即表示，雙方在五項議題的多數條文已達成共識，少數條文待通過視訊會議協商後可望幾週內簽定協議。

美台21世紀貿易倡議原先包含貿易便利化、監管措施、反腐、中小企業、數字貿易、勞工、環境、農業、國營企業、法規及非市場行為等11項議題，在兩次談判後新增服務業國內規章一項。

May 18, 2023

WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today announced that the United States and Taiwan, under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), have concluded negotiations on the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade.

“This accomplishment represents an important step forward in strengthening the U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “It demonstrates how we can work together and advance mutual trade priorities on behalf of our people. We look forward to continuing these negotiations and finalizing a robust and high-standard trade agreement that tackles pressing 21st century economic challenges.”

The first agreement under the initiative covers the areas of customs administration and trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, services domestic regulation, anticorruption, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Through these provisions, U.S. businesses will be able to bring more products to Taiwan and Taiwanese customers, while creating more transparent and streamlined regulatory procedures that can facilitate investment and economic opportunities in both markets, particularly for small- and medium-sized enterprises. Once signed, this agreement will deepen the trading partnership and enhance U.S.-Taiwan trade flows in order to promote innovation and inclusive economic growth for workers and businesses.

The negotiated text can now be accessed on USTR’s website.

The agreement will be signed by AIT and TECRO in the coming weeks, in both English and Chinese. Details on the signing ceremony will be available at a later date.

Following the signing of the agreement, the United States and Taiwan, under the auspices of AIT and TECRO, will commence negotiations on additional trade areas set forth in the initiative’s negotiating mandate.

Additional details on the chapters included in the agreement:

Customs Administration and Trade Facilitation
The negotiated text on customs administration and trade facilitation will streamline border procedures and reduce red tape, making it easier, faster, and cheaper for American businesses to bring their products to Taiwan and Taiwanese customers. Customs forms will be able to be submitted electronically and will allow border agencies to accept electronic payment of duties, taxes, and fees. Reducing wait times for idling vessels and trucks will also lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce spoilage, especially of perishable goods.

Good Regulatory Practices
The negotiated text on good regulatory practices creates improved transparency tools and mechanisms that will help small and medium-sized enterprises better understand regulatory procedures in both the U.S. and Taiwan markets. This includes public consultations on draft regulatory measures, which can contribute to better and more informed regulations.

The text also establishes a Good Regulatory Practices Committee to monitor implementation of the obligations in this chapter, improve information sharing, and facilitate enhanced regulatory cooperation.

Services Domestic Regulation
The negotiated text ensures service suppliers are treated fairly when they apply for permission to operate, and that there is a smooth flow of information between the applicant for a license and the regulator. Regulators are required to be independent of the industry they oversee, and must inform applicants of the requirements to obtain a license, provide applicants a fair opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the requirements, and make a decision on whether to issue a license in a reasonable period of time.

The negotiated text also prohibits licensing rules that discriminate on the basis of gender.

Anticorruption
The negotiated text on anticorruption commits the sides to establish comprehensive anticorruption measures that will prevent and combat bribery and other forms of corruption. Building on the anticorruption framework established in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, this chapter addresses money laundering, denial of entry for foreign public officials, the recovery of proceeds of corruption, and enhanced protections for corruption whistleblowers.

The negotiated text also mandates procedures for possible removal of public officials who are charged or convicted of corruption.

Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
The negotiated text on SMEs will encourage SME trade and investment opportunities between the United States and Taiwan, including through training programs, trade education, trade finance, trade missions, and improving SME access to capital and credit. The sides would promote online, publicly available resources for SMEs to learn more about how to conduct business in both markets.

The negotiated text encourages that the SME Dialogues include SME owned by diverse, underserved, and underrepresented groups.

Resource:
U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade First Agreement Text

WASHINGTON – Consistent with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to the highest levels of transparency in trade agreement negotiations, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released summaries of texts proposed by the U.S. side during the first negotiating round of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, which was held in Taipei, Taiwan from January 14-17, 2023.

The summaries detail the negotiating proposals from the U.S. side for the following chapters: customs administration and trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, services domestic regulation, anticorruption, and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Negotiations between the United States and Taiwan are being conducted under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO).

These texts follow through on the two sides’ shared commitment to pursue a high-ambition trade initiative, as outlined in the negotiating mandate that was established in August 2022, in order to strengthen and deepen economic and trade ties.

These trade negotiations are being conducted in accordance with the United States’ one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.

Resource:
U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade January 2023 Negotiating Round Public Summary