 |
| Image: Flickr user - U.S. Department of State |
By Andy Morimoto
“The U.S. can hardly afford to squander any tools in its foreign policy toolkit.”
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is in trouble. Trade ministers failed last month to conclude the massive 12-nation trade deal by their hoped-for summer deadline, putting negotiations in danger of collapse.
This is a problem. Trade advocates argue that letting the TPP die would be a significant lost opportunity for the global economy. But there’s a potentially bigger problem here – one that may have serious consequences for both U.S. national security and regional stability in the Asia-Pacific.
Just consider the strategic backdrop against which last month’s negotiations occurred. Maritime disputes flaring across the South China Sea. Tensions rising between Beijing and Tokyo. Perennial friction between China and Taiwan and a growing nuclear stockpile in North Korea.
If the TPP falls through, it could greatly hurt the America’s ability to stabilize the fraught geopolitics of Asia.
Read the full story at The Diplomat