Beijing: Japan said it would determine whether China meets “very high standards” of comprehensive and progressive agreements for Trans-Pacific Partnerships (CPPPP) after the world’s second largest economy is officially applied to join.
Trade Minister Wang Walao submitted a Chinese application to join the free trade agreement in a letter to the Minister of Trade New Zealand, Damien O’Connor, said the Chinese Ministry in a statement on Thursday.
CPTPP was signed by 11 countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan and New Zealand in 2018.
Before that, it was known as a trans-Pacific partnership and was seen as an important economic equalizer for China’s regional influence.
Japan, this year’s CPTPP seat, said it would consult with member countries to respond to Chinese requests, but stopped signifying the timeline to do so.
“Japan believes that it is necessary to determine whether China, which submitted a request to join TPP-11, is ready to meet a very high standards,” Japan’s economic minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters on Friday.
TPP is the center of former US President Pivot Barack Obama to Asia but his replacement, Donald Trump, attracted the United States from the Pact in 2017.
Asked to comment on Chinese offers, US State Department spokesman said it was suspended to CPTPP, given that the United States was not a member , but added: “That said, we would expect that the practice of Chinese non-market trade and the use of Chinese economic coercion on other countries will take into account the evaluation of the CPTPP as a potential candidate for accession.” CPTP accession will be a big boost for China after signing Free Trade Agreement of the 15-Country Comprehensive Economic Partnership Partnership last year.
Beijing has lobbyed because it is included in the pact, including by highlighting that the Chinese economy and Australia have great potential for cooperation.
However, the relationship between the two countries has deteriorated.
In a new alliance nicknamed the aukus announced this week, the United States and the United Kingdom said they would provide Australia with technology to use a nuclear-powered submarine, a step that was seen as aimed against China’s influence in the Pacific.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that the application to join the CPTPP “was not related” for aukus.
China encourages regional integration while the aukus countries “promotes war and destruction,” he said to the direction in Beijing.
Taiwan, who also fished to join the trade agreement, expressed concern about China’s decision to apply.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and will not be happy if Taipei is allowed to join the grouping before Beijing.
Deputy Japanese Finance Minister suggested in Tweet on Friday that China’s subsidies from state-owned companies and arbitrary law applications would likely make it difficult for the country to join the trade pact.
“China …
Far from the world of TPP that is free, fair and very transparent, opportunities that can join zero,” said Minister of State Kenji Nakanishi in a tweet.
“This can be considered as a step to prevent Taiwan to join.” England in June began negotiations to enter the trade pact, while Thailand also signaled interest in joining him.
Wang and O’Connor held a telephone conference to discuss the next steps after the China application, said the Chinese commerce minister.