TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stated at a press conference Thursday (Oct. 15) that while both Taiwan and the United States are looking forward to engaging in economic dialogue, major events such as the American presidential election have made it difficult to finalize a schedule for such talks.

Douglas Yu-Tien Hsu (徐佑典), MOFA’s department head of North American affairs, said that the government continues to maintain contact with the Trump administration and keep track of developments in the U.S. Hsu said he was aware that Undersecretary of State Keith Krach believes his visit to Taiwan was fruitful, but the looming U.S. elections and high-level officials' meetings make it difficult for both sides to decide on a suitable time to meet, CNA reported.

Hsu emphasized that despite this, Taiwan and the U.S. are looking forward to engaging in economic dialogue, and both countries hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible. He added that the economic dialogue will be led by the U.S. State Department and that the bilateral meetings will be different from the trade talks previously conducted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

Krach led a delegation on a whirlwind trip to Taiwan on Sept. 17 to make preparations for future bilateral economic talks.