US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kickstarted a publicity campaign Thursday by Washington to push for a free trade deal called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), while pressing China on human rights. The approach Washington adopted in promoting the pact runs counter to its aim of strengthening mutual trust and ironing out differences in the Asia-Pacific region.
The TPP was formed with Singapore, Brunei, Chile and New Zealand as its original members. It gained impetus in 2008 after the US announced its willingness to join and invited other economies to follow suit. There are high benchmarks being set for the proposed TPP grouping, shedding light on product safety, labor standards, monitoring and economic legislation for its member states. The pact is more than a mere economic issue, according to Clinton.
The current goals put out by the US are truly ambitious. Clinton’s remarks specifically fueled speculation about Washington’s attempt to contain China through TPP. If the US is sincerely committed to the success of its TPP initiative, Clinton should not have adopted this tone.
A large membership for the TPP in Asia-Pacific requires better adaptability of TPP rules for nations absent from the current negotiations. The US, however, does not seem to be keen on adjusting the standards for the agreement. Instead, the expansion of the TPP is becoming akin to maximizing Washington’s interests – doubling its exports and dominating Asia.
The prerequisite for any regional cooperation is the principle of mutual benefit, outside of which any moves are almost certainly doomed. Asia is witnessing a variety of vibrant cooperation mechanisms. The TPP needs time to adapt. However, regional cooperation would be derailed by great power politics.
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