Beijing has reacted to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s declaration of support for Indonesia to join the trans-Pacific free trade deal by issuing a fresh plea to back China’s membership of the pact, offering increased access to its massive markets amid the turmoil of Donald Trump’s global trade war.
China’s renewed public lobbying effort comes after trade ministers and representatives of the 12 members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership last week agreed to consider membership applications in a “timely manner”.
