Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu (right) speaks with Thomas Manch, journalist for New Zealand paper The Post, Nov. 24 in Taipei City. (MOFA)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu urged New Zealand to support Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Wu made the remarks during an interview with Thomas Manch of New Zealand paper The Post for an article published Dec. 12 online and in print.
According to Wu, the CPTPP’s purpose is to establish a structure that facilitates a high standard of international trade. He added that Taiwan has consequently updated its own trade architecture to meet those expectations, and encouraged New Zealand to assess Taiwan’s application on its own merits.
The minister said that although China may wish to fill the vacancy left by the U.S. withdrawal in 2017, it will take decades for it to attain the pact’s high standards. He maintained that standards should be the key consideration as the CPTPP reviews applications, and that other nations should not be hindered at China’s behest.
Wu added that with Taiwan’s presidential election coming up in January 2024, China has been conducting military exercises for months as an attempt to exert influence over the results. The minister took the opportunity to call on like-minded partners to continue their support of Taiwan to effectively deter China’s aggression. (POC-E)
