TPP今日將正式簽字

Leaders of the 11-strong Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal are on the hunt for new members as they prepare for a formal signing ceremony in Chile today that will illustrate how the world is moving on without the US.

《跨太平洋夥伴關係協定》（Trans-Pacific Partnership，簡稱TPP）11個成員國的領導人正在物色新成員。這些領導人今日將在智利舉行正式簽字儀式，展示世界正如何在美國缺席的情況下繼續前進。

Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and even the UK are all regarded as possible additions to a pact that lays down strong rules for trade in the most dynamic region of the world economy.

臺灣、泰國、韓國、菲律賓、斯里蘭卡甚至英國都被視爲這一貿易協定的潛在新成員，該協定爲全球最具經濟活力地區的貿易制定了強有力的規則。

The drive to expand the TPP shows how a deal abandoned by Donald Trump in one of his first acts as US president has gained fresh momentum as a vehicle for free trade in Asia.

擴大TPP的努力表明，唐納德?特朗普(Donald Trump)在就任美國總統後很快放棄的一項貿易協定，作爲亞洲自由貿易的一個載具獲得了新的動力。

“Once TPP becomes effective then we can start discussions on accession,” said Kazuyoshi Umemoto, Japan’s chief TPP negotiator. “TPP is aimed at an open, rule-based, multilateral, liberal trade system, so if any country is interested and willing to abide by the rules then we can talk about accession.”

“一旦TPP生效，我們就可以啓動加入協定的討論，”日本首席TPP談判代表梅本和義表示。“TPP旨在建立一個開放、基於規則的多邊自由貿易體系，所以如果任何國家有興趣並且願意遵守規則，那麼我們可以討論加入事宜。”

The TPP was originally envisaged as a vast regional trading agreement underpinning US geopolitical strategy in Asia under President Barack Obama. Following the US withdrawal, the remaining members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

TPP最初被設想爲一項龐大的區域貿易協定，支持巴拉克?奧巴馬(Barack Obama)總統領導下美國在亞洲奉行的地緣政治戰略。美國退出後、剩餘成員國是澳大利亞、文萊、加拿大、智利、日本、馬來西亞、墨西哥、新西蘭、祕魯、新加坡和越南。

With the US no longer taking part, negotiators have suspended intellectual property provisions that favoured US technology and pharmaceutical companies. Trade ministers will meet in Santiago today to formalise the deal after resolving Canadian qualms.

考慮到美國不再參與，各國談判代表們擱置了有利於美國科技和製藥企業的知識產權條款。成員國貿易部長們今日將在聖地亞哥開會，在解決加拿大的疑慮後正式敲定該協定。

The TPP will enter into force after ratification by six of the eleven members. But in a sign of their enthusiasm, trade officials in the member countries are already talking about the possibility of expansion. Some TPP members remain cautious about the prospects for enlarging the trade bloc. “My focus is on concluding the agreement between the 11 of us,” Steven Ciobo, the Australian trade minister, said. “We each have our domestic ratification process we have to work through. I am a big believer that you don’t count your chickens until they hatch so let’s just bed down this agreement as it is now.”

TPP將在11個成員國中的6個批准後生效。但是突顯積極情緒的一個跡象是，成員國的貿易官員們已經在談論協議擴容的可能性。一些TPP成員國對擴大這個貿易集團的前景仍持謹慎態度。“我的焦點是在我們11個成員國之間達成協議，”澳大利亞貿易部長史蒂文?喬博(Steven Ciobo)表示。“大家都有國內的批准程序，我們得先走完這個程序。我很相信‘蛋未孵出別忙着數雞’的道理，所以讓我們先搞定目前形式的這個協定吧。”

Taiwan is one of the most enthusiastic potential members but officials in Taipei say the island’s complicated international status has been an obstacle for negotiators. China typically opposes countries working with Taiwan on a bilateral basis.

臺灣是最積極的潛在成員之一，但臺北的官員們表示，臺灣的複雜國際地位一直是談判代表的障礙。中國通常反對其他國家在雙邊基礎上同臺灣合作。

Charles Finny, a former New Zealand diplomat and now partner at Saunders Unsworth in Wellington, said Taiwan had shown it meets the necessary standard through its trade deals with Singapore and New Zealand.

新西蘭前外交官、如今是惠靈頓政府關係顧問公司桑德斯安斯沃思(Saunders Unsworth)合夥人的查爾斯?芬尼(Charles Finny)表示，臺灣已通過與新加坡和新西蘭達成的貿易協定，證明其符合必要的標準。

Its best opportunity would come if China joined the TPP, he said.

他表示，如果中國最終加入TPP，那麼臺灣將迎來其最佳機遇。

Officials in Thailand have said they are looking again at joining. The Philippines has shown interest in the past but is focused on an alternative deal.

泰國官員們表示，他們正在再次研究加入事宜。菲律賓過去曾表現出興趣，但目前聚焦於另一個貿易協定。

South Korea has been lukewarm about the pact but may feel pressure to sign up if its other trade deals stumble. “Since South Korea has been forced to renegotiate the Korea-US FTA, it may be opportune for South Korea to again consider joining the TPP, in order to be part of a key trade liberalisation initiative for the Asia-Pacific,” said Rajiv Biswas, chief economist for IHS Markit in Singapore. “With Sri Lanka having recently concluded a high quality FTA with Singapore that extended to services and investment, it may also be possible that Sri Lanka could consider joining the CPTPP in a second wave of new joiners,” he said.

韓國對這項貿易協定一直態度溫吞，但如果該國的其他貿易協定停擺，它可能感受到加入TPP的壓力。“由於韓國被迫重新談判韓美自由貿易協定，因此韓國也許應該再次考慮加入TPP，以便成爲亞太區一項關鍵的貿易自由化倡議的一部分，”環球通視(IHS Global Insight)駐新加坡的首席經濟學家拉吉夫?比斯瓦斯(Rajiv Biswas)表示。“由於斯里蘭卡最近與新加坡達成了覆蓋服務和投資的高質量自由貿易協定，斯里蘭卡也可能考慮躋身於第二波加入《跨太平洋夥伴全面進展協定》（CPTPP，新版TPP的名稱——譯者注）的國家之列，”他說。

Mr Trump has said that he would be open to rejoining the TPP if it involved a “better deal” for the US.

特朗普曾表示，若有對美國更有利的條件，他將對重新加入TPP持開放心態。

Negotiators are open to the prospect of UK membership after Brexit but doubt it will be the next country to join, given the time it will take to settle London’s future relationship with the EU.

談判代表們對英國在退歐後成爲TPP成員國的前景持開放態度，但考慮到解決英國與歐盟未來關係所需的時間，他們對於英國將成爲下一個加入的國家表示懷疑。