Australia and Japan will likely oppose China’s bid to join one of the world’s largest trade agreements unless it halts its economic coercion campaign targeting Australian exports and resumes diplomatic contact. Beijing announced on Sept. 16 that it had formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in a letter to New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor. The CPTPP was signed by 11 nations in 2018, and covers 13.4 percent of global GDP. Prospective members (including the United Kingdom and Thailand) can gain entry only with unanimous support from all pact members, which includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said China could not join the CPTPP until members were convinced of a “track record of compliance” with existing trade and World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements. It would also require Beijing to resume …