Former Vice President Vincent Siew says China should help Taiwan join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other six countries, including China.
Siew made the comments on Wednesday at a trade forum. About 200 trade representatives from both Taiwan and China attended the event, including China’s former top negotiator with Taiwan, Chen Yunlin.
In his address, Siew said legislative approval of a trade in services agreement with China has been stalled. But he said cross-strait trade liberalization is already a set trend.
“We sincerely hope that Mainland China will help Taiwan and Hong Kong join the RCEP," said Siew. "If all three places can fully integrate with ASEAN, [we’ll see] a complete and strong supply chain.”