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The Taiwan Research Hub presents an online Policy Paper launch
Michael Reilly, Taiwan Research Hub Non-Resident, Senior Fellow. You can read the full policy paper here .
Tuesday 6 October 2026, 10-11:30am UK Time, Online
Online Event only
Taiwan's application to join the CPTPP trade agreement is stalled because most members link it with China’s application, which they seem reluctant to contemplate. If Taiwan’s application is to make progress, CPTPP members will have to be persuaded to consider it separately from China.This may be possible if China can be offered the prospect of membership in the longer-term, or privileged status short of full membership. Unless the impasse can be resolved, the relatively low levels of bilateral trade and prospect of only limited benefits to the current members arising from Taiwanese membership mean they will remain unwilling to be more supportive.Taiwan must therefore do more to emphasise the benefits to them of Taiwanese membership, stress that a consensus-based approach need not mean a ‘lowest common denominator’ outcome and enlist the help of foreign friends to persuade their own governments to support Taiwanese membership. Taiwan should also consider seeking foreign support to establish a Track Two process within the CPTPP, to help build confidence and understanding and try to identify ways forward.
Michael Reilly has been a non-resident Senior Fellow, first of the China Policy Institute, then the Taiwan Research Hub, at Nottingham since 2015. Michael is a former British diplomat with extensive experience in East Asia including postings in Korea (twice) and the Philippines. His final position was as the British representative in Taiwan from 2005 – 2009. He then left the foreign service to join BAE Systems, serving as the company’s chief representative in China from 2011-2014. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Taiwan Institute in Washington DC and was a Visiting Fellow at Academia Sinica in Taipei in 2016 and 2019Mu-Chen Jenny Liu
Chaired by Dr Chun-yi Lee, Taiwan Research Hub
糖心原创 University Park Nottingham, NG7 2RD