UPDATE 3-Taiwan says 'risk' to its Trans-Pacific trade pact bid if China joins first – Netscape News

By Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee Reuters (Adds China’s response) TAIPEI, Sept 23 (Reuters) – There is a “risk” to Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) if China joins first, Taiwan’s government said on Thursday, flagging a potential political roadblock. Taiwan formally applied to join on Wednesday, less than a week after China, the world’s second-largest economy. Taiwan is excluded from many international bodies because of China’s insistence that it is part of “one-China” rather than a separate country. Taiwan’s chief trade negotiator John Deng told reporters that China always tries to obstruct…