Taiwan¡¯s request to join the Asia-Pacific region¡¯s biggest working trade deal, coming just days after China submitted its own bid, presents the member nations with a difficult choice: admit one, both or neither?
Both Beijing and Taipei have asked to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in the past week. That creates the possibility of a long and politicized application process, with the members divided between democracies such as Japan, Australia and Canada pushing for Taiwan¡¯s accession, and Southeast Asian nations keen to remain in China¡¯s good graces, making them vulnerable to pressure from Beijing to thwart Taipei¡¯s bid.
Officials in Taipei are aware of the challenge they face.
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