TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan can expect to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) within five years, National Development Council (NDC) Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said Thursday (March 2).

Taiwan applied for membership in the trade bloc in Sept. 2021, shortly after China did, raising fears that China might try to prevent Taipei from joining.

Facing questions from lawmakers skeptical about Taiwan’s chances, Kung said the country had to wait in line behind the United Kingdom. As long as talks for British membership of the CPTPP had not been completed, Taiwan’s application to join the 11-nation group was unlikely to be thoroughly discussed, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

Kung said the talks with London had taken more time than expected, but Taiwan is still likely to be allowed to join within five years, by the end of 2028.