China accuses Taiwan of trade ‘decoupling’ to appease US

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL - China on Wednesday accused Taiwan’s government of promoting economic “decoupling” and “breaking chains” across the Taiwan Strait to appease the United States, according to the Global Times.

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, criticized Taipei's trade approach, particularly its handling of US tariffs through a zero-tariff policy.

She claimed that Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party is using the policy as a bargaining chip and a pledge of loyalty to Washington, making the island more vulnerable.

"This will only make Taiwan more vulnerable to US exploitation, facilitate the hollowing out of its competitive industries, turn Taiwan into a dumping ground for US agricultural products, and further harm Taiwan's economic development and the interests and well-being of Taiwan people.

"Taiwan secession is a dead end, and external forces are unreliable," Zhu said, urging Taipei to cooperate with Beijing in trade and investment to manage external risks.

In 2024, total trade between China and Taiwan reached $292.97 billion, Xinhua News reported, citing official data.

The US imposed a 32% tariff on imports from Taiwan on April 2. It later paused the tariff for 90 days for all countries except China, while retaining a 10% base tariff.

Taiwan’s leader Lai Ching-te said Taipei will not retaliate and instead increase imports from the US and boost investments there to help reduce the trade deficit.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province. Taiwan rejects that claim and insists on maintaining its de facto independence.

The Trump administration had previously imposed tariffs of up to 245% on Chinese goods. China responded with a 125% tariff on all US imports.