President Ma Ying-jeou says he hopes that more progress can be made in Taiwan’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Ma was speaking Monday while meeting with visiting US economic official Charles Rivkin.
The TPP is a multilateral free trade agreement initiated by four APEC economies in 2005.
Ma said his KMT government has pushed for trade liberalization and the relaxation of the rules to meet TPP’s standards. He said he hoped Taiwan’s TPP bid could move forward.
“The US government has already shared information on the TPP’s goals and standards as well as on the requirements needed to join the trade block," he said.
"At a hearing on Capitol Hill, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said Washington will seriously consider Taiwan as a TPP candidate member, so we are very pleased," said Ma.
Ma said Taipei and Washington have close trade ties. He said Taiwan is the United States’ 10th largest trading partner as well as one of its top ten export markets for food and agricultural products.