[Epoch Times September 23, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Xia Yu comprehensive report) On Wednesday (September 22), Taiwan formally applied to join the “Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement” (CPTPP), and in less than a week Previously, Beijing also applied to join the CPTPP. As the main leader of the agreement, Japan’s response to cross-strait applications is very different.
On Thursday (23rd), former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tweeted to support Taiwan. Many dignitaries, including the Foreign Minister of Japan, have expressed their opinions and have also supported Taiwan’s participation in the CPTPP.
Shinzo Abe tweeted a Japanese tweet from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen calling on Japan to support Taiwan’s participation in the CPTPP. Shinzo Abe wrote: “We welcome Taiwan’s application (to join the CPTPP). We and Taiwan share the basic values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.”
“President Tsai has shown his determination to accept all the rules of (CPTPP), which is extremely important for Japan.” Abe continued.
Taiwan on Wednesday submitted the application documents to New Zealand, which is responsible for processing the documents.
Tsai Ing-wen wrote in Japanese on Twitter on September 23: “Taiwan formally applied to join the CPTPP yesterday. Since assuming the presidency, I have been preparing to join this high-level trade agreement. We are willing to accept all the rules and are willing to join the TPP. . I hope my Japanese friends will support this effort!”
We welcome Taiwan’s request to share basic values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It is extremely important for Japan to support that Cai Führer has shown his determination to clear all the rules. https://t.co/0G6Nqo40gO
— Shinzo Abe (@AbeShinzo) September 23, 2021
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters in New York on Thursday that Japan welcomes Taiwan’s application to join the CPTPP. He described Taiwan as an “extremely important partner of Japan”, possessing basic values such as the rule of law, and said that Japan will respond to Taiwan’s application to join the CPTPP based on strategic views and public understanding.
According to a report by the Central News Agency, Tsai Ing-wen recently held a video conference with the candidate for the election of the Democratic Party president (party chairman) and former Minister of General Affairs Sanae Takaichi, said: “Taiwan has the full capacity to join a high-level multilateral trade agreement like the CPTPP. I hope that Takashi and Japanese friends can actively assist Taiwan in participating in various free trade agreements like CPTPP.”
Gao City said that, including the resolution of various prerequisites for participating in the CPTPP, Japan supports Taiwan’s participation in the CPTPP and hopes to assist Taiwan as much as possible to move towards this goal.
Keiji Furuya, the chairman of the Japanese Congress’s largest cross-party group of members of the Japanese-Chinese Congress, also expressed on Thursday that he hopes that Taiwan can join the CPTPP and that Japanese-Chinese Senate fully supports it.
When Beijing applied to join the CPTPP on September 16, Japanese politicians did not make similar welcome remarks.
In response to Beijing’s application to join the CPTPP, Motegi said: “It will examine whether China is ready to comply with high-standard trade agreements,” and did not say the word “welcome”.
At a regular press conference held on September 17th, Japanese government spokesperson and Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu raised a long list of areas in which he questioned Beijing’s eligibility for membership, including the protection of trademarks and other intellectual property rights and the protection of state-owned enterprises. subsidy.
Katsunobu Kato said that it is necessary to confirm whether China is really ready to meet the high standards of joining the CPTPP.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan stated that Motegi held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken before the video press conference to urge the United States to return to the CPTPP. Motegi also held talks with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on the negotiation of Britain’s application to join the CPTPP.
Editor in charge: Liu Ying#
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