How Canada’s western provinces and federal government should view China’s bid to join the CPTPP

Photo by Dan Loran on Unsplash

The Canada West Foundation posed the following question to me and some other experts on international trade and Asia:

China has formally applied for membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Member countries, including Canada, have made clear that China must adhere to the high standards of the agreement, including tariff cuts, rules of state-owned enterprises, intellectual property and labour rights and other progressive elements. What do you expect will be the major issues on which Western Canada needs to keep an eye as China begins consultations with CPTPP members in preparation for its bid to join the pact? How does Canada handle application and approval processes given recent relations with China?

Here’s how I responded:

By 2028, China is expected to become the largest consumer for some key agricultural goods produced in Western Canada. Recent years have witnessed strong growth in China’s purchases of Canadian wheat, barley, soybeans, canola seeds, peas, and canola oil. During consultations with China on its CPTPP application, Canada should probe China’s willingness to adhere to the agreement’s high standards on issues like labour rights, intellectual property, digital trade…