Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, whether he plans to take diplomatic steps to support Taiwan’s application to join CPTPP.

The UK has welcomed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) members' willingness to expand the group. Membership is open to all economies willing and able to meet the high standards of the agreement, and with a demonstrated pattern of complying with their trade commitments. The UK's priority now is the key parliamentary processes needed to take place before the deal can be ratified, and we will not be commenting on the specifics of Taiwan or any other economies' interest in the agreement.