Taiwan pushing to join the CPTPPEXPLORING OTHER OPTIONS: As the RCEP free-trade deal is led by China, Taiwan would find it challenging to join the partnership, the foreign ministry saidBy Lu Yi-hsuan and Lin Liang-sheng / Staff reportersTaiwan would strive to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as it would be challenging for the nation to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) given China’s dominance in the latter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The RCEP was signed by 15 Asia-Pacific nations on the last day of the virtual ASEAN summit yesterday, becoming the world’s largest free-trade agreement. The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured at the ministry in Taipei on March 3. Taiwan would strive to initiate informal consultations, in preparation for joining the CPTPP, the ministry said, adding that it would continue to seek economic and trade cooperation opportunities with New Southbound Policy partner nations, the US, Japan and other like-minded nations. Separately yesterday, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of not proactively trying to join the RCEP over the past four years, and declaring failure without even trying.

Source: Taipei Times November 15, 2020 15:56 UTC