For subscribers
Why China wants to join the pact that once spurned it
Geopolitical manoeuvring aside, the CPTPP helps Beijing push through reforms of its domestic economy
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
At first glance, it would seem a supreme irony: China has applied to join the very trade pact that arose from moves to counter its economic influence in the Asia Pacific.
In September, Beijing sent in a formal application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) that brings together 11 countries of the Pacific Rim, and which looks set to expand with Britain and Taiwan having applied.
