Taipei Times
Date: Jan 27, 2016
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) must make membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) her primary external goal, US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers said.

“Taiwan’s over-reliance on China must be addressed and access to the world’s most important multilateral trade initiative could play a key role,” Hammond-Chambers said.

Trade ministers from the 12 nations that have agreed to join the TPP are to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday next week in Auckland, New Zealand, and Taiwan’s potential membership might be discussed at that level for the first time.

Preparations for joining the partnership could act as a catalyst for much-needed domestic trade and economic reforms, Hammond-Chambers wrote in an essay published this week by Washington political newspaper The Hill.

“Membership could afford Taiwan renewed engagement with the TPP member countries, thereby boosting relationships with its Asia-Pacific neighbors,” he wrote.    [FULL  STORY]