Taiwan says it is in talks with the 11 members of the revamped Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and will submit an application to join the group once discussions are completed. The self-ruled island has been angling to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which was signed in 2018. But many countries are wary of signing trade deals with Taiwan, which is claimed by China as its own territory. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said late on Sunday that, according to the processes of the CPTPP, new member applicants needed to complete informal talks with existing members first and “reach a consensus” before applying. Those talks were ongoing, and member countries “already clearly understand our determination and steps to seeking membership, and the attitude is quite positive”, the ministry said. “Once the informal consultation with all member states is completed, we will formally submit an application for membership in accordance with the procedures,” it added, without giving a time frame. The original 12-member agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, was thrown into limbo in early 2017 when US President Donald Trump withdrew. It was renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and links Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. One potential problem for Taiwan could be a parallel application for membership from Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping said last month his country would “ actively consider ” signing up for the CPTPP. Xi’s comments came less than a week after China and 14 other Asia-Pacific economies signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Hanoi to form the world’s largest free-trade bloc. Taiwan is not a member of that group. Taiwan, which is a member of the World Trade Organization, has sought greater access to multilateral deals.