Taiwan not included in launch of new Biden Indo-Pacific pact

By AAMER MADHANI and JOSH BOAK
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to come out with a list of countries that will join an Indo-Pacific trade pact, but Taiwan won’t be among them. The pact is meant to allow the U.S. to work more closely with Asian economies on supply chains, digital trade, clean energy and more. Biden plans to highlight the framework as he meets Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirms that Taiwan isn’t among the governments signed up for the launch. Taiwan’s inclusion would have irked China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own.