There is a "risk" to Taiwan's application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) if China joins first, Taiwan's government said on Thursday, flagging a potential political roadblock.
Taiwan formally applied to join on Wednesday, less than a week after China, the world's second largest economy.
Taiwan is excluded from many international bodies because of Beijing's "One China" policy, which insists that the island is not a separate country.