Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-01
By: Central News Agency

Taipei, Aug. 1 (CNA) Although trade ministers in the just-concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) meeting did not reach an agreement or consensus on the signing of a proposed regional trade pact, Taiwan will continue to promote economic and trade liberalization as part of its efforts to join the planned regional trade bloc, the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) said Saturday.

“We will continue to actively make preparations for the participation of our country in the TPP,” BOFT said in a statement, adding that related governmental agencies will continue to observe the future developments of the issue closely. Based on the free trade agreement signed between South Korea and the United States, Taiwan has been making preparations for joining the TPP since last year.

“We are hoping to be able to join the second round of the TPP negotiations,” the BOFT added. Over the past year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and other related governmental agencies have held some 130 meetings with different industrial organizations and trade unions at the national and local levels on Taiwan’s participation in the TPP, aimed at hearing their opinions on the issue, the BOFT indicated, reiterating that the government will continue to do so in a more active manner, in order to make the general public more aware of the importance of the issue for Taiwan.     [FULL  STORY]