By Michael Martina and David Lawder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two hundred members of Congress urged U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to include Taiwan in a proposed Indo-Pacific economic plan, according to a letter seen by Reuters, amid concerns the island claimed by China could be left out.
Taiwan has voiced its desire to be a “full member” in the forthcoming Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), one part of the Biden administration’s effort to counter what it says is Beijing’s increasing economic and military coercion in the region.
The administration has said that the still fledgling IPEF aims to be inclusive, but it has not publicly detailed any membership plans. IPEF is intended as a flexible economic framework that would align members on supply chain resiliency, infrastructure, export controls, clean energy and other issues.
Asked during a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Finance Committee last week if Taiwan would be included in IPEF, Raimondo responded that the administration was not contemplating their inclusion at this time, according to two sources with knowledge of the meeting.
The Commerce Department referred a Reuters request for comment on Raimondo’s remark to the White House National Security Council, which said: “No decisions have been made on membership. We continue to consult with partners in the region and Congress.”
Some analysts argue Taiwan’s participation in the plan could make countries in the region hesitant to join for fear of angering Beijing, which opposes the idea as a tool for Washington to try to contain China’s rise.
“As Taiwan is a major economy in the Indo-Pacific region, we strongly believe that Taiwan should be invited to participate in the IPEF,” the representatives, including Republicans Mike McCaul, Liz Cheney, and Elise Stefanik, and Democrats Ted Lieu, Ro Khanna, and Elissa Slotkin, said in a March 30 letter to the two Cabinet officials.
The letter was posted on the official Congress website of Democratic Congressman Albio Sires, who also signed it.
Taiwan’s de-facto embassy in Washington declined to comment on Raimondo’s remark, but a spokesman said: “Regarding IPEF, Taiwan continues to exchange views with the U.S. through existing economic and trade mechanisms and channels.”
Tai is due to testify publicly before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.
(Reporting by Michael Martina and David Lawder; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
