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US should support TPP
membership for Taiwan: study
By William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON
The US government should ˇ§take up the causeˇ¨ of Taiwanˇ¦s membership in the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a new study by the Washington-based Heritage
Foundation says.
ˇ§Taiwanˇ¦s continued political relevance and de facto autonomy is [sic] in part
contingent upon its economic vitality and broad integration into the regional
and global economies,ˇ¨ said Olivia Enos, a researcher at the foundationˇ¦s Asia
Studies Center.
The study comes as the 18th round of TPP free-trade negotiations opens this week
in Malaysia.
If Japan joins the group ˇX as now seems likely ˇX TPP members would account for
nearly 40 percent of global GDP and about a third of all world trade.
ˇ§Key analysts echo the sentiment that the best way for Taiwan to diversify its
markets and improve competitiveness in the region is to join TPP trade
negotiations,ˇ¨ Enos said.
She says officials in the US government are in favor of Taiwanˇ¦s inclusion in
the partnership.
US Trade Representative Michael Froman said recently that the TPP was open to
all APEC economies, including Taiwan.
The nation had only to establish its readiness ˇ§to meet the high standards of
the agreementˇ¨ Froman said.
Heritage economist Derek Scissors said that if Taiwan decides to join TPP
negotiations soon, it could get in on the ground floor of the resulting economic
integration and increase its trade.
However, it could get squeezed out of the growing Asian trade market if it
forgoes the TPP, Scissors said.
ˇ§It is not a question of whether Taiwan is ready ˇX especially since Vietnam and
Peru are already a part of negotiations ˇX but whether Taiwan is willing to
join,ˇ¨ Scissors said.
Enos noted that Taiwan is a member of APEC and has opened up its market even
more to top trade partner China.
ˇ§The recent signings of the [South] Korea-US and European-[South] Korea
free-trade agreements as well as the negotiation of the 16-nation Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership, signals growing competition for Taiwan in
the region,ˇ¨ Enos said.
ˇ§The TPP would help Taiwan keep pace with its regional competitors by expanding
its markets beyond dependence on China,ˇ¨ she said.
ˇ§There seems to be agreement all round that it is time for Taiwan to move
forward with the TPP,ˇ¨ Enos said.
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