Economics minister Chang Chia-juch said Thursday that Taiwan has not entered into consultations to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Chang’s remarks come amid confusion over a report run by Taiwan’s Central News Agency which quotes a US official as saying that Taiwan is among a group of six countries that have begun consultations.
Speaking at a press conference, Chang said that Taiwan has only expressed its desire to join the TPP to each of the 12 countries that are currently involved in negotiations on the trade pact. Chang said that Taiwan must get the approval of all 12 countries before it can begin the process of consultation.
Meanwhile, Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun said that the US official’s statement quoted in the report should have been interpreted to mean that Taiwan is one of several countries that have expressed a desire to join the TPP.