The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will develop specific strategies to prevent China from trying to block Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), reports said Friday (May 5).

Taipei filed its membership application in September 2021, less than a week after China, causing concern the communist country might try to interfere and block Taiwan’s accession. Since the 11-member trade bloc has to reach a consensus about new applications, Taipei needed to achieve complete support from all current members.

Because of the different natures of those 11 countries, MOFA said it would develop specific strategies for each country to win their support, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported. The member nations already understood the efforts Taiwan had made to prepare for membership, according to MOFA.

Even though the CPTPP knew that Taiwan’s trade and economic systems corresponded to the bloc’s high standards, some of its members showed a strong level of reliance on China, MOFA said. As the communist country’s economic policies did not fully match CPTPP requirements, MOFA wanted the group to handle Taiwan’s application first by forming a special taskforce.

The 11 CPTPP members are Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Mexico, Peru, and Chile. The United Kingdom recently received the go-ahead to join, expanding the group to 12 members later this year.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4883481

Category: Taiwan