Canada must show leadership in backing Taiwan's Pacific trade bid

Kristen Hopewell is a professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Policy at the University of British Columbia. With the start of the new year, Canada will assume the rotating chair position of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), one of the world's biggest trade blocs. Both China and Taiwan are seeking to join the agreement. Canada should use this opportunity to show leadership in opening formal negotiations for Taiwan's accession. China's bid, on the other hand, must be treated with considerable caution, given concerns about whether it can be trusted to adhere to the terms of…