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As in any David-vs.-Goliath situation, Ottawa must be crafty if it is to defend itself. That entails using indirect and multilateral measures to target Beijing's vulnerabilities. Supporting Taiwan's entrance to the CPTPP, a critical trading bloc created to counter China's influence, would be an ideal fit.For Beijing, Taiwan is a particularly delicate topic. Despite the fact that the island nation has been an independent state for almost 70 years, China regards it as a rogue province due to complex historical reasons. Annexing the island is viewed as an issue of national reunification, as well as a necessary step toward consolidating the Chinese Communist Party's historical legitimacy.Beijing has spent decades diplomatically isolating Taiwan by lashing out at countries that recognize its sovereignty. As a result, Taiwan has frequently been improperly excluded from international organizations. Now that China has gained confidence and might, it is widely expected that it will attempt to conquer Taiwan within the next ten years, even at significant cost to itself.Supporting Taiwan would be the most effective method for Ottawa to cause problems for Beijing without outright assaulting it. However, such an approach would have to be handled with caution to avoid causing too much direct friction, which is why backing Taiwan's CPTPP application, a reasonably subtle tactic, would be appropriate.

The CPTPP is the successor of the Trans-Pacific 

Partnership (TPP), a US-led effort that would have established a 12-member cross-Pacific commercial bloc that, by excluding China, would have served as a strong counterweight to Beijing's dominance.After US President Donald Trump cancelled the TPP in 2016, Japan rescued the project and relaunched it in 2018 as the CPTPP, maintaining the majority of the TPP's original provisions and all of its original members with the exception of the United States. Even without US cooperation, the bloc accounts for 13.5% of global GDP and has been critical to Japanese-led attempts to restrain China.Taiwan has been eager to join the CPTPP—and with good cause.Taiwan's highly educated population and scarce natural resources have resulted in an export-oriented economy that excels at producing higher-value industrial goods. This economic paradigm has significant consequences for Taiwan's self-defense.Taipei seeks to counter Beijing's aggression by strengthening global commercial ties and integrating itself into critical global supply networks. The underlying idea is that other countries will be motivated to defend Taiwan (diplomatically or militarily) if the island's destruction causes significant economic loss to allied economies.

The semiconductor market has been 

critical to this strategy. Semiconductors are critical components for most electronic products, and because Taiwan has a global near-monopoly on their production, any serious strike on the island would devastate technology markets around the world.This has been referred to as Taiwan's "silicone shield," but it is currently deteriorating. The United States has begun to invest in domestic semiconductor production, with the ultimate objective of self-sufficiency. If Taiwan loses its monopoly, it loses its leverage, making wide diversification and trade expansion more crucial than ever.The CPTPP would improve Taiwanese access to overseas markets while cutting the cost of raw material imports. This would enhance Taiwan's economy while also connecting it more closely to other economies.CPTPP membership would also provide Taiwan with a new forum for diplomatic engagement and international cooperation, something the country badly needs given its exclusion from other multilateral institutions. Increasing Taipei's prominence and prestige would demonstrate to the world that, despite Beijing's disdain, the country cannot be ostracized or ignored.Taiwan submitted their CPTPP membership application in September 2021, and acceptance is clearly seen as critical to their self-preservation. Last September, I traveled to Taipei as part of Taiwan's first press trip since the COVID-19 outbreak. The tour was clearly intended to increase support for Taiwan's CPTPP proposal. Not only was the membership application widely debated, but our group included one journalist from each CPTPP member state, as well as an American journalist.Though they did not say it explicitly, the way our Taiwanese hosts addressed the CPTPP showed that they saw membership as part of their existential struggle.Western analysts appear to agree that Taiwan fits the CPTPP's membership criteria, although conformity with legal and economic standards is insufficient to approve a membership application. 

New countries are only admitted with the unanimous

assent of current members. Predictably, several CPTPP states, particularly smaller ones in Southeast Asia, have been hesitant to offer this assent for fear of upsetting China.One week following Taiwan's submission, Beijing presented its own CPTPP membership application. Because China does not match the bloc's membership conditions (free markets, transparent regulatory regimes), the action has been interpreted as a gimmick to torpedo Taiwan's application. Approving Taiwan while rejecting Beijing will create a harmful image for certain CPTPP members.Nonetheless, Japan has been a staunch backer of Taiwanlobbying other CPTPP members to back the Taiwanese membership application. Tokyo has a lot of power because it is the bloc's largest economy; nevertheless, smaller members are unlikely to support Taipei unless other leading CPTPP economies exert pressure as well.Australia has sent contradictory signals, saying it is open to Taiwan's membership but has refrained from aggressively pressuring other countries. Canada has taken a similar stance, but has not yet publicly endorsed Taiwan's bid.This should change. As the second-largest economy in the CPTPP, Canada has the ability to collaborate with Japan to change the bloc's dynamics. If Ottawa came out in support of Taiwan but not publicly portraying this support as retaliation for China's bullying, it would send a message to Beijing that Canada might cause issues if treated poorly.

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