TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s envoy to New Zealand said she is confident Taiwan could be the next country to join the CPTPP, after member countries met in New Zealand on Sunday (July 16) and formally established Britain’s membership in the trade pact.
Taiwan’s envoy to New Zealand, Joanne Ou (歐江安), said that Taiwan is ready, and urged member countries to “promptly reach a consensus in establishing a fair review approach for aspiring economies.“
Following the meeting, CPTPP members said they are gathering information on countries who have applied to join, a list that includes Taiwan and China, to see if they meet the pact’s “high standards.”
“We are confident that whatever is the set mechanism, Taiwan can pass through the examination, and be the next to accede to CPTPP,” she said in a statement provided to Taiwan News by the foreign ministry.
China and Taiwan’s competing bids to join the CPTPP are likely to become a focal point for the pact’s development in the future, as a consensus is needed among member states to approve any new membership applications.
When asked about Taiwan’s application to join the CPTPP in late June, New Zealand’s foreign ministry said they have taken care not to publicly discuss the merits of any applicant to the trade pact.
“Decisions on accession to the CPTPP require consensus among members, reflecting the plurilateral nature of the agreement,” a spokesperson said.
Taiwan and China applied for membership to the trade pact within a week of each other in September 2021, and both applications are still under review.
It remains unclear if China will be able to influence Taiwan’s application, though New Zealand, which chairs the CPTPP commission, has hinted it is likely to support China’s application, as has Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Australia and Japan have highlighted multiple issues concerning China’s application.
Despite Taiwan’s non-recognition as a state by all 12 CPTPP members, the wording of the agreement simply allows “aspirant economies” to apply for membership, which would allow Taiwan’s participation in the same way as it does with the World Trade Organization.
