A US trade official says that Taiwan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is in the common interest of Taiwan and the United States. However, he also said Taiwan must meet certain standards before it gains entry.
US Under-Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stephan Selig made the comments on Thursday at a press conference on the upcoming SelectUSA Investment Summit. The TPP is a multilateral free trade agreement currently being negotiated among a dozen Pacific Rim countries.
In a prepared statement, Selig announced that Taiwan will send a “very impressive and important” delegation to the SelectUSA Investment Summit, which is slated for late March.
When asked if the US would help Taiwan join the next round of TPP negotiations given Taiwan’s enthusiasm for the SelectUSA campaign, Selig said that the TPP negotiations and the SelectUSA program are two different things. He also said it is not for the US to decide who can take part in TPP negotiations because there are 11 other partner nations. But he said that the TPP was crafted in a way that “will accommodate other entrances who are willing to accept the highest standard agreements”.