TAIPEI (Reuters) – A senior Taiwanese minister has pressed U.S. Commerce Consultant Katherine Tai to incorporate the island in the USA’ forthcoming Indo-Pacific Financial Framework, his workplace stated on Tuesday.

Tai final month declined to say if Taiwan could be invited to affix the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific financial plan, spurring Senate criticism that excluding the island could be a missed alternative.

Taiwan has voiced its want to be a “full member” within the Indo-Pacific Financial Framework (IPEF), one a part of the administration’s effort to counter what it says is Beijing’s growing financial and navy coercion within the area.

Throughout one hour-long digital talks on Monday, Taiwan’s chief commerce negotiator John Deng reiterated to Tai that the island helps the framework and desires to affix it, Hsiao Chen-jung, an official from Deng’s workplace, instructed Reuters.

“Regional commerce points are of concern to each side,” Hsiao stated, including the 2 sides agreed to keep up a correspondence on problems with mutual concern.

A short assertion from Tai’s workplace made no point out of the framework, saying the 2 sides talked about progress on bilateral commerce issues and “their mutual curiosity in working collectively on problems with frequent concern, together with regionally and in multilateral organizations just like the World Commerce Group”.

China, which claims Taiwan as its personal territory, has condemned the U.S. Indo-Pacific push, saying Washington is creating “unique golf equipment”.

Any Taiwanese participation within the financial part would possible additional pressure Sino-U.S. ties with Beijing angered by any present of help from Washington for the island.