Taiwan says TPP bid should be assessed on merit, independent of China – The Mainichi

TAIPEI (Kyodo) — Taiwan said Thursday its application for inclusion in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact was not motivated by China’s request to join and that its submission should be assessed on its own economic merits. Trade representative John Deng told a press conference at the Executive Yuan, or Cabinet, that President Tsai Ing-wen has been pushing for accession to what is formally known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership since she was first elected in 2016. He said Taiwan has undertaken extensive consultations with the current member states on the topic. “China’s submission should have no…