TAIPÉI, Taiwan (AP) – Taiwan asked a trade group from 11 Pacific countries to enter on Thursday, according to government officials, raising a possible clash with Beijing over the situation on the democratic island.
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Taiwan’s request to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Progressive Integration Treaty (TIPAT), known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, could be cut short if China, which requested its listing last week, is admitted first, said John Deng, a Taiwanese minister without purse.
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The TIPAT, which came into force in 2018, includes agreements on market access, worker movement, and government purchases. Its members include Australia, Canada, Mexico, Singapore and New Zealand.
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The Chinese Communist Party, which rules mainland China, claims Taiwan as part of its territory and notes that its elected government has no authority to engage in foreign relations.
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“China has been obstructing Taiwanese opportunities in the international arena,” Deng told a news conference. “If China joins before Taiwan, it will jeopardize Taiwan’s request.”
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The Trans-Pacific Agreement was promoted by the then president of the United States Barack Obama. His successor, Donald Trump, retired in 2017. President Joe Biden has not rejoined the group.
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