Taiwan's executive branch recently passed drafts to amend two laws, eyeing stronger protection on core technologies (most likely advanced technologies controlled by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and restrictions on related personnel flows.

An Australian Parliamentary Committee has completed a detailed inquiry into expanding the CPTPP, and has made recommendations related to the applications of both China and Taiwan.

Taiwanese officials recently announced that they would loosen an import ban on food from five Japanese prefectures, which was put in place eleven years ago due to concerns over radiation in food produced near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. During the same event, officials also updated the progress

Members of U.S. Congress in both the House and the Senate have introduced bipartisan legislation that directs the Secretary of State "to seek to enter into negotiations with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to rename its office the 'Taiwan Representative Office.'"

At a WTO SPS Committee meeting in November, for which the meeting minutes were just circulated, WTO Members discussed a number of SPS measures imposed by China.

French Trade Minister Franck Riester testified today before the European Parliament's International Trade Committee on the priorities of the French Presidency of the EU Council in the area of international trade policy, and in that context a number of issues related to China trade were raised.

Canada and Taiwan have announced that they are exploring the possibility of a foreign investment agreement, which would liberalize restrictions on cross-border investment between the two and provide legal protections for existing investments.