Japan welcomes Taiwan and other countries to join TPP

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary and the cabinet’s spokesman, said Monday that he welcomed various countries and areas, including Taiwan, to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Suga made the statement at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday.

After the United States pulled out of the pact in January, the 11 countries that signed the TPP (TPP-11) agreed in May to proceed with the trade deal and bring it into force expeditiously.

TPP countries will hold high-level meetings in Japan in July, Suga said, and Japan will provide the necessary information to countries or areas interested in the TPP-11.

Premier Lin Chuan (林全) told a Japanese newspaper that Taiwan wished to join the TPP even though the U.S. had withdrawn from the pact.

Japan and New Zealand have ratified the TPP. The other nine nations are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Source: Focus Taiwan