CPTPP members must be wary of China's attempt to join trade pact

Kristen Hopewell is the Canada research chair in global policy at the University of British Columbia and the author of “Clash of Powers: US-China Rivalry in Global Trade Governance.” China announced last month that it had officially applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), one of the world’s mega-regional trade agreements. Its 11 existing members — Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam — must now decide whether to admit China. Singapore and Malaysia have already signaled their support for China’s membership bid. However, given Beijing’s disregard for global…