《TAIPEI TIMES》Japanese paper backs CPTPP bid

TRADE ISSUES: Taiwan is a vital production base for semiconductors, with many Japanese firms dependent on the nation, a Japanese business group’s paper said

By Hsu Tzu-ling and Jason Pan / Staff reporters

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Japanese business representatives at a news conference in Taipei yesterday endorsed Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership （CPTPP）, which was the key recommendation in the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Taipei’s annual white paper.

The Japanese government should support Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, the paper said.

Chamber chairman Toru Takeda presented the paper to National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin （龔明鑫） at the news conference.

The paper outlined the chamber’s vision for cooperation between the two nations in the economic, trade and industrial sectors, as well as for cultivating talent, while addressing concerns over basic infrastructure, human resources and business institutions in Taiwan.

Taiwan only has trade agreements with New Zealand, Singapore and China, putting it at a disadvantage for business competitiveness and posing a serious problem for its export-reliant economy, it said.

Taiwan launched its CPTPP membership bid in 2021.

The paper said that it urged Tokyo to provide further assistance with Taiwan’s bid, while Taipei should strive to fulfill all the criteria for entry.

Taiwan’s government should consider dropping remaining restrictions on food imports from Fukushima Prefecture, it said.

Taiwan could also bid for membership in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and to sign free trade agreements with other nations, it added.

Taiwan is a vital production base for semiconductors, with many Japanese companies dependent on the nation, it said, adding that Taiwan’s importance would only increase.

The chamber expects bilateral cooperation to grow in research and development, and production, including through joint projects to develop semiconductors in Japan for a new generation of vehicles and industrial machinery, it said.

However, Taiwan has “five deficiencies” for those planning to invest in the nation: electricity, water, land, skilled workers and demographics, with “basic infrastructure shortcomings,” especially for electricity and water, the most pressing issues, the paper said.

The stability of the electricity grid and the feasibility of energy transition goals are concerns, it said, adding that the government must formulate medium-term and long-term policies to deal with water shortages.

A dwindling workforce due to a declining birthrate, is another concern, it said.

Policies need to be improved to allow foreign workers to enter Taiwan, as well as facilitating flexible working hours and work-from-home schedules for white-collar workers to improve productivity, it said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES