TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The de facto Japanese ambassador to Taiwan said on Sunday (July 31) that he will make every effort to push for Taiwan’s entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Japanese Representative to Taiwan Izumi Hiroyasu, who heads the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA) in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, made the remark addressing a forum hosted by the Lee Teng-Hui Foundation. Assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was originally scheduled to be featured as the keynote speaker.

Izumi said he believed Taiwan was on Abe's mind when Japan assumed the leading role within the CPTPP. Admission to the trade bloc would boost Taiwan’s global standing and help it maintain its status quo, CNA quoted him as saying.

The diplomat also made a case for deepened bilateral cooperation in the semiconductor sector, tapping into both countries’ advanced technologies. As an economy boasting an unrivaled strength in semiconductors among other tech prowess, Taiwan’s participation in the partnership is a must for the country’s future development, he argued.

Taiwan has failed in its bid to be admitted into the CPTPP, allegedly opposed by some of its members due to China’s meddling. The bloc currently has 11 signatories, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.