Taiwan asked to join the Trans-Pacific Economic Cooperation Agreement: China’s anger

China “categorically” opposed Taiwan’s accession to the Progressive and Comprehensive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership on Thursday (CPTPP), one of the biggest trade pacts in the world, which Taipei asked to join a week after Beijing did the same.

“China is categorically opposed to any kind of official exchange between a country and the island of Taiwan, and is strongly opposed to this region joining any treaty or international body.”, this Thursday today the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian at a press conference.

The spokesperson insisted that “There is only one China in the world” and that “there is a general consensus within the international community” to apply the principle of “One China”, with which Xi Jinping’s regime demands the severing of diplomatic relations with Taipei in order to maintain official relations with Beijing.

Taiwanese trade official John Deng told a press conference in Taipei on Thursday that one of the main obstacles Taiwan will face in joining the pact is the import ban on Japanese products from areas affected by the 2011 nuclear disaster, collect local media.

Own Deng anticipated on Wednesday that it would also constitute “a major obstacle for Taiwan” if Beijing joined the trade bloc first.

According to Deng, CPTPP member states should consider each request on a case-by-case basis. depending on whether they meet the required standards.

“After submitting the request, Taiwan will begin membership talks with the eleven members of the CPTPP to seek their support and learn about the pressing issues that most concern each member. “Deng said, quoted by CNA news agency.

The CPTPP, which entered into force in December 2018, includes eleven countries – including the world’s third largest economy, Japan, as well as Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia and New Zealand – and represents about 13% of the volume of global trade.

The treaty is an updated version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), signed on February 4, 2016, but which went into crisis following former US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his country from this initiative in 2017.

The original TPP was one of the targets chosen by Trump during the election campaign that led him to the presidency of the United States to attack international free trade agreements. and to insist on the need to launch new negotiations to renew the pacts to which Washington had committed.

September 17, China announced it was asking to join the deal months after Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country would “actively” consider joining the pact.

While Australian authorities have indicated that They will set conditions on China to support its entry into the Progressive and Comprehensive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, after Beijing announced its interest in joining the trade deal.

In a newspaper interview “Australian Financial Review”, the Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan has said he will call on China to end the boycott of certain Australian products to start negotiations for entry into the CPTPP.

(With information from EFE)

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