Taiwan says trade pact bid on track after Australia comment

Taiwan said its bid to join one of Asia’s biggest trade pacts remained on track, after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated that the accord was only open to recognized nation states.

Albanese’s remarks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok on Friday caused a stir and prompted Taiwan to seek clarification. Taiwan, China and the UK are among economies that have expressed interest in joining the 11-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, known as the CPTPP.

“The government of Australia has since clarified with Taiwan that its stance on Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP has not changed and that it continues to welcome the entry of all economies” that meet the pact’s standards, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Taiwan will continue to seek the support of CPTPP members, including Australia.”

Albanese, who has moved to stabilize ties with China and met with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, was asked whether Australia was now less likely to support Taiwan’s entry into the CPTPP.

“Our position hasn’t been altered on the first matter,” the Australian leader told reporters. But comments that followed caused consternation in Taipei.

“The CPTPP is a relationship between nation states that are recognized. Taiwan is represented here because it is represented here as an economy,” Albanese said, referring to the APEC gathering. “There is bipartisan support for the One China Policy. We support the status quo on Taiwan.”

Australian diplomats scrambled to reassure partners that Albanese’s government remained open to Taiwan’s entry into the trade pact, the Australian newspaper reported.

Speaking with reporters Saturday, Albanese was asked if he misspoke on the issue.

“Our position has not changed,” he said. “We will deal with applications as they are dealt with by consensus for economies applying to join the CPTPP.”