Beijing barks as Australia, Japan, Canada support Taiwan CPTPP bid
Beijing has threatened Australia and other countries supporting Taiwan’s bid to join a giant Trans-Pacific trade pact.
Beijing has threatened Australia, Japan, Canada and other countries supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Thursday evening.
“China firmly opposes all official interactions with Taiwan, firmly rejects Taiwan‘s accession to any agreement or organisation of official nature. China’s position on this issue is clear,” the Xi administration spokesman said.
Beijing’s threat came as Australian diplomats were working behind the scenes with Japan, Canada and other partners on a path for Taiwan — a self-governed island of 24 million people — to the giant trading block, called the CPTPP.
Trade Minister Dan Tehan, who last week said China’s application for the giant trading bloc would require the end of its trade coercion against Australia, indicated Canberra was co-ordinating with others on Taiwan’s bid.
“Australia will work with the CPTPP membership to consider Taiwan’s application on a consensus basis, in accordance with the CPTPP Accession Guidelines,” he told The Australian in a statement.
He reiterated that new members – whether China or Taiwan – would have to convince existing members that they would “adhere to the high standards of the agreement, as well as to their WTO commitments and existing trade agreements... (It’s) in everyone’s interest that everyone plays by the rules.”
The foreign minister of Japan – Australia’s closest partner in the region – was even more publicly supportive of Taiwan’s application, which was lodged on Wednesday. Toshimitsu Motegi said Taiwan was an “extremely important partner of Japan” that shared basic values such as the rule of law.
He said Tokyo would respond to Taiwan’s bid “based on a strategic point of view and with the public’s understanding.”
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — who remains hugely influential in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party — said it was “extremely important” for Japan to support Taiwan’s bid.
Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen said the bid was five years in the making and reflected Taiwan’s “commitment to promoting free trade in the Asia-Pacific”.
“I am confident that our membership in this deal would strengthen joint economic development and benefit people across the region and the world,” President Tsai said.
Australia, Japan and the other nine member states in the trade bloc have to manage the tension between the region’s biggest economy and the thriving democratic island that Beijing claims is a wayward Chinese province to be reclaimed by force if necessary.
“This is now a geo-economic showdown whose outcome carries high stakes for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” said Jeffrey Wilson, research director at the Perth USAsia Centre.
Joining the group requires the unanimous consent of all the members.
A senior diplomatic source involved in the process told The Australian that Australia, Japan and Canada, which has also experienced Beijing’s trade coercion, had been in discussions exploring a path for Taiwan’s entry.
Some Taiwan supporters worry that Peru will be an easy target for the Xi administration to pressure. Peru’s new leftist President Pedro Castillo, who assumed office in July, has said he wants to prioritise improving ties with Beijing.
Other members include New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Mexico.
Mr Tehan noted Taiwan’s application would require senior engagement with the Tsai government, something Beijing is determined to limit.
“Any application for accession to the CPTPP is an important matter and with Taiwan would require senior-level engagement consistent with our long-established one-China policy,” he said.
Diplomats representing some members believe China’s application was an attempt to thwart Taiwan’s flagged application.
“It’s a power move by China,” Mr Wilson said.
While Mr Tehan was determinedly neutral in his statement, less constrained members of the Morrison government were more openly supportive.
Liberal member for Wentworth Dave Sharma, a former diplomat, said Taiwan’s application “deserves favourable consideration”.
“They are a sizeable and technology-oriented economy with a strong commitment to free trade and the rule of law – the sort of member which would bring value to the CPTPP,” Mr Sharma said.
Fellow Liberal Ted O’Brien said the application by “rule-abiding” Taiwan was “welcome news”.
Lowy Institute expert Natasha Kassam, who was previously a Beijing-based Australian diplomat, said there would be a lot of “anxiety” among members over letting in Taiwan while rejecting China but she could see a path for Taiwan’s entry if there was “collective action” led by five or six members.
“You make it about the rules-based order, institution building, preserving standards and it becomes a pretty powerful message – if you can get enough countries together on it,” she said.
On Saturday — two days after Beijing lodged its CPTPP application — China’s customs officials banned Taiwanese wax apple and custard apple exports, citing pest concerns.
Taiwan is considering taking China to the World Trading Organization over the sudden ban.
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