The 17th round of negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership took place in Peru last month between 12 countries including the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. Japan joined the talks a month ago.
"We will analyse the advantages, disadvantages and the possibility of joining the TPP, based on careful research and according to principles of equality and mutual benefit," said Shen Danyang of Mofcom.
Some groups have also raised concerns about some of the IP-related provisions in the TPP that have been leaked to the public.
Médecins Sans Frontières called the proposed agreement “the most harmful trade deal ever for access to medicines in developing countries”. According to MSF, one provision would require signatories to allow patents for “modifications of existing medicines, such as a new forms, uses or methods, even without improvement of therapeutic efficacy for patients”.
Some of the leaked provisions concerning copyright have also been criticised. Angela Daly of Swinburne University of Technology in Australia argued that article 4 of the TPP would implement what she describes as controversial aspects of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, while the Electronic Frontier Foundation said that the TPP in its current form may restrict fair use and impose additional liability on internet service providers.
China’s absence from the TPP negotiations have been noted by some observers, who believe that such an agreement without the world’s second largest economy may be ineffective and would serve to isolate China.
