The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has not been told by the US that Taiwan may become a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) by the end of next year as a Japanese newspaper reported, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) said yesterday.
The Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun quoted an unnamed White House official as saying on Monday that Taiwan may join the TPP by then at the earliest.
The Nikkei said the US and Taiwan have quietly discussed having Taipei join the TPP during bilateral talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) platform since both side resumed negotiations last year.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
US President Barack Obama’s administration is stepping up overtures to Taiwan on joining the TPP as part of efforts to keep China in check, the newspaper said.
Asked to comment on the report, Lin said Taiwan was grateful for the support extended to it in its pursuit of TPP membership, but the ministry had not received any explicit information from the US as to its stance on Taiwan’s bid for membership.
In terms of economic relations with the US, the first and foremost task is to continue to negotiate on issues of concerns to both side under the TIFA platform, such as a bilateral investment agreement, “to create the conditions needed for Taiwan to join the TPP,” Lin said.
In related news, a two-day workshop held to brainstorm strategies to facilitate the nation’s entry into the TPP and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) concluded yesterday.
At a post-meeting press conference, Representative to Thailand Henry Chen (陳銘政) said that he felt wholeheartedly that the government was determined to gear up for liberalization.
Thailand is one of several ASEAN countries with which Taiwan wants to open negotiations with on bilateral economic cooperation agreement, to pave the way for its inclusion into the RCEP. Thailand is already a member of the group.
A feasibility study on such an agreement with Thailand is expected to be finished at the end of next month, after about a year of research, Chen said.
Chen said that the discussions he had with officials at the workshop were helpful in addressing trade issues of concerns to Thailand, such as the ban on imports of purple mangosteen from Thailand.
Taiwan and Thailand are expected to begin negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement this year, part of a building block approach to push for a bilateral economic cooperation pact, he said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS