Episode 4: Economic Coercion -- Diversifying and Derisking from China

Dispatch from Taiwan

Feb 8 2024 • 31 mins

China has a track record of banning products from Taiwan, including fish, alcohol, fruits and other agricultural goods. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, 35.2 percent of Taiwan's total exports went to China and Hong Kong in 2023 — down from 38.8 percent in 2022.

In this episode, we examine how China uses trade to try to influence Taiwan and how Taiwan pushes back. We also look at how Taiwan's trade partners help alleviate pressure, and how negotiators see the role of trade pacts with international partners.

This episode includes interviews with Benjamin Hsu from the Office of Trade Negotiations at Executive Yuan, Huai-Shing Yen from the Taiwan WTO and RTA Center at Chung-Hua Institution For Economic Research, and the family at Su’s Giant Grouper Farm, including Man-Chu Chao, Mia Su and Mack Chen.

Views in the podcast do not reflect those of the United States Institute of Peace and Ghost Island Media.

For more: https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/02/economic-coercion-diversifying-and-derisking-china