Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

China last week announced that Taiwan’s ban on imports of certain Chinese goods constituted a “trade barrier.” Some say they worry the announcement would affect the nation’s Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) application. Beijing’s next move is unclear, but the Chinese trade report is unlikely to affect Taiwan’s participation in the trade agreement.

Some say China could block Taiwan’s trade bloc entry by pressuring one or two members, using trade-barrier probes as leverage. This is overthinking it.

First, everyone knows China does not want Taiwan to join the CPTPP. It would try to block Taiwan’s entry with or without the report. Taiwan’s trade bloc eligibility is not a concern.

Taiwan’s first indigenous defense submarine prototype, the Hai Kun (海鯤, SS-711), is undergoing a harbor acceptance test, a navy official said yesterday.

Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光), who heads the Indigenous Defense Submarine program, said that personnel are training on the Hai Kun’s systems and equipment, and the next step would be a sea acceptance test (SAT) in the second quarter of next year.

The submarine was initially launched on Sept. 28, after seven years in development, he said, adding that the program has been supervised and audited by the Legislative Yuan, the Control Yuan and other government agencies, and no problems have been found.