The Australian government has clarified that its stance on Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) remains unchanged, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Friday.
Canberra said “it welcomes all economic entities” that meet the regional trade pact’s high standards to join the bloc, MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said.
The clarification was made at Taipei’s request after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s remarks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok, Thailand earlier Friday.
Albanese said “the CPTPP is a relationship between nation states that are recognized” when asked by reporters if Australia supported Taiwan’s participation.
“Taiwan is represented here (at APEC) as an economy,” he said, implying that Taiwan could not join the trans-Pacific trading pact and Australia may reject its application because it is not a “recognized” nation state.
The Australian government later provided clarification of the comments which MOFA welcomed, Ou told CNA Friday evening, adding that Taiwan will continue to seek support from CPTPP members — including Australia — for its inclusion.
However, MOFA did not indicate the source of the clarification and as of press time the Australian government had issued no public statement to that effect.
Earlier in the day when responding to Albanese’s remarks, MOFA noted that what the prime minister said contradicted CPTPP rules, which stipulated in 2019 that new members must be agreed to by all existing members.
According to the CPTPP preamble, “any State or separate customs territory may accede to this Agreement.”
Taiwan’s eligibility as a CPTPP applicant has not been challenged by the organization’s 11 members since the country submitted its application in 2021, Ou said.
On the contrary, she pointed out, the United States and Japan have made public remarks that recognize Taiwan’s ability to fulfill related international commitments, as well as praised its upholding of democratic values shared by CPTPP members.
The CPTPP, which grew out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership after the U.S. left that pact in January 2017, is one of the world’s biggest trade blocs, representing a market of 500 million people and accounting for 13.5 percent of global trade.
Any new entry in the CPTPP requires the unanimous support of the bloc’s 11 signatories — Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Taiwan applied to join the CPTPP on Sept. 22, 2021, less than a week after China submitted its application.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel