I think it's important to remember that the CPTPP, like ASEAN, is a consensus-based organization, so, as chair, there is a limit to what we can do. Nonetheless, as chair I think there are some things that we can do in terms of providing leadership.
We're already almost halfway through our chairmanship.
There are two big issues for the agreement. One is to update it. It was signed back in 2018, and some of the terms and conditions could be looked at. We have a new member, the United Kingdom, that has almost been ratified.
The other really important issue is the accession question. It's a real asset that Canada is a member. It's the only regional trade organization of which we are a member, but if the new TPP is to really sing and live and move along, the membership question needs to be addressed.
There are six aspirant economies that have gone through the formal process of indicating that they would like to join. Some are more serious than others. The first two were China and Taiwan, within a week of each other. There are obvious questions around both. One is with regard to China, if China is really serious and why it has applied. Is it simply to act as a spoiler, or does it want to change the rules? There are all these sorts of questions. Nonetheless, China's application needs to be taken seriously, as does Taiwan's.
There is a lot of speculation that China would like to block Taiwan. China is not a member. A non-member cannot set forth conditions to other non-members. It really should be based on the ability to meet the terms of the agreement. Clearly, Taiwan and perhaps one or two others do.