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TSMC founder and former CEO Morris Chang speaks during his nomination by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as the island’s representative to the Apec conference, in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: dpa
ChinaDiplomacy

Taiwan to rally backers at Apec for bid to join Pacific trade pact

  • Beijing, which has also applied to join the CPTPP, opposes Taipei’s membership
  • Apec economic leaders meeting virtually next week will be urged to consider Taiwan’s track record on support for free trade
Taiwan
Reuters
Reuters
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Taiwan will seek support for its bid to join a trans-Pacific trade pact when it attends a meeting of economic leaders of the Asia-Pacific group Apec next week, President Tsai Ing-wen said.
Taiwan and mainland China both applied in September to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Beijing opposes Taiwan’s membership and has increased military activities near the self-ruled island which it claims and has not ruled out taking by force.

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Economic leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum, which includes the United States, China and Japan, will meet virtually next week to discuss a path forward for the region to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’d like to ask envoy Chang to use this meeting to gather support from more Apec members for Taiwan to join CPTPP,” Tsai said on Tuesday, referring to Taiwan’s representative for the meeting – chip giant TSMC founder Morris Chang.

“Envoy Chang will express Taiwan’s support for and insistence on free trade,” she added.

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Speaking at the same event, Chang said he will use his six-minute speech to emphasise Taiwan’s qualification to reach CPTPP’s high standards, as well as the island’s already “very high” trade contribution to the major pan-Pacific free trade pact. He did not elaborate.

Joining CPTPP has become the latest in a string of issues escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Taipei is excluded from many international bodies because of Beijing’s insistence that it is part of “one China”.

Taiwan, a major semiconductor producer, is a member of the World Trade Organization and the Apec grouping.

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