TAIPEI: Taiwan is expected to propose to the United States that the two sides resume their dialogue on an important trade and investment pact, an official was reported as saying Sunday.

Negotiations on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) stalled in 2007 after Taiwan banned the import of US beef on the bone, a curb which was relaxed last month in a move welcomed by Washington.

"Given the close economic relations between the two sides, Taiwan hopes to discuss many bilateral trade issues with the US, including the TIFA talks," Huang Chih-peng, chief of the Bureau of Foreign Trade, was quoted as saying.

Huang was speaking to Taiwanese reporters in Singapore, where he will be attending this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum.

Huang said he hoped TIFA would be discussed during meetings between US and Taiwanese officials on the sidelines of the APEC conference, the state-controlled Central News Agency (CNA) quoted him as saying.

Asked if Taiwan's Economics Minister Shih Yen-shiang would also raise the issue with the US representative at the APEC ministerial meeting, Huang said, "That's right, he will come up with a proposal" for resuming TIFA talks.

The TIFA talks have become the most important channel for Taiwan-US dialogue on trade and economic issues, and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has said he hopes these would lead to the signing of a comprehensive free trade agreement.

Taiwan banned all US beef imports in December 2003 after the island reported cases of mad cow disease, which can lead to the brain-wasting Creutzfeld-Jakob disease in humans.

In 2006 Taiwan allowed imports of boneless beef, but restrictions on other products such as offal remained in place until last month.

US envoy William Stanton, the de facto US envoy to Taiwan, has said that as soon as the "hurdle of the beef" was cleared, the TIFA talks could be resumed.

Washington has remained a key ally and leading arms supplier to the island despite switching diplomatic recognition to China in 1979.