Taiwan ‘in talks’ ahead of application to join trans-Pacific trade pact
- The self-ruled island’s foreign ministry has confirmed informal discussions are under way with 11 members of CPTPP
- But Taipei’s hopes for membership could be complicated by a potential parallel application to the group from Beijing
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.
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.
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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.
Taiwan, which is a member of the World Trade Organization, has sought greater access to multilateral deals.
