Taiwan bound to join TPP: Taiwan's envoy to US

[William Hung]

By Taiwan bound to join TPP: Taiwan's envoy to U.S. | Politics | FocusTaiwan Mobile - CNA English News

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Taiwan bound to join TPP: Taiwan's envoy to U.S.
2015/10/02 16:29:14

CNA file photo
Washington, Oct. 1 (CNA) Taiwan has repeatedly expressed its interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and according to its representative to the United States, the goal will eventually be achieved because Taiwan is "too important to ignore."

"Joining the TPP is bound to happen," Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡) said Thursday in response to questions from reporters on Taiwan-U.S. trade relations after the latest round of talks under the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) concluded in Taipei earlier in the day.

Taiwan is the U.S.'s 10th largest trade partner in the world and the sixth largest in the Asia-Pacific region, Shen said.

"How could the 6th (ranked trading partner) among 52 countries or territories in the Asia-Pacific be ignored?" he said.

The diplomat said his American friends often ask how big the Chinese market is (referring to U.S. export markets), and get answers of 50 or even 100 times the size of Taiwan's.

"But in fact, it is only 4.3 times," Shen said, indicating that "Taiwan is too big to ignore."

Figuring that the U.S. has taken notice, Shen predicted that Taiwan is bound to join the TPP, which is still being negotiated by 12 countries: the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Shen argued that the TPP would not be complete if Taiwan were cast aside. "If Taiwan is out, it will harm the interests of the U.S. and other countries," he said.

Ministers from the 12 nations negotiating the TPP are currently in Atlanta hoping to finalize the partnership.

Fears are that if a consensus cannot be reached by the end of the year, the negotiations will face greater resistance in 2016, which is an election year in the U.S.

(By Tony Liao and Elizabeth Hsu)

 

[Aepsilons]

By Taiwan bound to join TPP: Taiwan's envoy to U.S. | Politics | FocusTaiwan Mobile - CNA English News

Why, i cross checked with Japanese reference.

It seems like you're right.

How interesting.

By Taiwan bound to join TPP: Taiwan's envoy to U.S. | Politics | FocusTaiwan Mobile - CNA English News

If i may also infer, my friend, it seems that Japan has played privy in assuaging United States' acceptance to Taiwan's bid. In fact, Japan was an active player in supporting Taiwan's position.

I suppose it had something to do with Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi's recent visit to Taiwan to talk to Mr. Ma on certain TPP-related issues.

Japan willing to support Taiwan joining TPP talks｜WCT

Our handsome and influential darling, Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi...

 

[William Hung]

Why, i cross checked with Japanese reference.

It seems like you're right.

How interesting.




If i may also infer, my friend, it seems that Japan has played privy in assuaging United States' acceptance to Taiwan's bid. In fact, Japan was an active player in supporting Taiwan's position.

I suppose it had something to do with Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi's recent visit to Taiwan to talk to Mr. Ma on certain TPP-related issues.

Japan willing to support Taiwan joining TPP talks｜WCT

Our handsome and influential darling, Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi...

Interesting, I never knew about this behind the scene JP-TW talks.

Today, they are all negotiating to get closer to a final deal.

 

[Aepsilons]

The Greater Japanese-Taiwanese Cooperative Paradigm,

Interesting, I never knew about this behind the scene JP-TW talks.

Today, they are all negotiating to get closer to a final deal.

Of course they are. Don't you know that Taiwan's President Ma is a personal friend of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi? He is like a god-father to Koizumi's (the elder) son --- Shinjiro Koizumi. Mind you Koizumi is an LDP member, like his father. And Ma is KMT.

LOL!

Japanese-Taiwanese Politics --- my specialty...

 

[windywine]

Lets see what kind of progress those countries could make on the meeting in Atlanta now. BTW, I feel so Weird... I found that Vietnam is the most ambitious country toward reaching TPP agreement while she is the most undeveloped country among the current negotiating members.

Is that because nothing to lose??

 

[Aepsilons]

Lets see what kind of progress those countries could make on the meeting in Atlanta now. BTW, I feel so Weird... I found that Vietnam is the most ambitious country toward reaching TPP agreement while she is the most undeveloped country among the current negotiating members.

Is that because nothing to lose??

Is it wrong for the Vietnamese to be hyped about an economic treaty that will (definitely) benefit them and usher blessings for their economy? I think not. They are merely hailing the inevitability, I suppose.

 

[opruh]

It's sad to see that only irrelevant countries like usa want to be part of TPP, I mean countries like China which is the global engine for economic growth is not even interested.

 

[windywine]

s it wrong for the Vietnamese to be hyped about an economic treaty that will (definitely) benefit them and usher blessings for their economy?

Dude, You really think a absolute free trade can really benefit a undeveloped country? You are not joking, right?

 

[Aepsilons]

Dude, You really think a absolute free trade can really benefit a undeveloped country? You are not joking, right?

Well the TPP is not about 'absolute free trade' since they are negotiating on maintaining minor tariffs on some goods. Ideologically speaking, our American friends would like to remove 'ALL' tariffs , but that is subject to compromise. 'Tariff - free' is the Americans' set point, they know that it won't come down to that, there will be some tariff placements, not as high as prior, but still there.

Anyways this is a purely economic based treaty, there's no political machinations in here. No need to associate an economic treaty with political allianceship, i think our friends need to understand that.

 

[windywine]

The standard of TPP is too high for Vietnam, even is kinda high for China. Even Japan is hesitating to open their farm market.

 

[Aepsilons]

This is purely economic-driven. Let's remember that, folks. TPP does not equate to military interventionism, lol. I hope we can clarify that.

The standard of TPP is too high for Vietnam, even is kinda high for China. Even Japan is hesitating to open their farm market.

Well the one thing that Japan is hesitant about is US GMOs. We Japanese don't "do" GMOs. There's been plenty of studies on their cancerous links. In fact i think i've started and posted threads about this some months back. You can search for it if you'd like.

 

[windywine]

This is purely economic-driven. Let's remember that, folks.

No, its not economic-driven at all. It is political-driven. That's what USA strategy, not Japan could determine

 

[Aepsilons]

No, its not economic-driven at all. It is political-driven. That's what USA strategy, not Japan could determine

It is totally economic driven. In fact the TPP was initiated prior to the US' joining the group. Its genesis was economic driven.

 

[windywine]

Well the one thing that Japan is hesitant about is US GMOs. We Japanese don't "do" GMOs. There's been plenty of studies on their cancerous links. In fact i think i've started and posted threads about this some months back. You can search for it if you'd like.

That 's my point. Even Japan has something to worry about TPP

 

[Aepsilons]

That 's my point. Even Japan has something to worry about TPP

Sure, that's why I said its subject to compromise. Anyways, the agrarian issue isn't the main issue for us, as we don't really import US agrarian goods, but from Vietnam, the Philippines and from China. The main point of contention between the US and Japan is on automobile / industrial trade processes. In fact the bulk of the Japanese-American bilateral trade (which is north of $200 Billion per annum) is mostly on industrial / manufacturing import / export.