The case for the TPP being made in the US now rests on the national security argument – if the US doesn’t get TPP, China will lead on setting trade rules, and this will be a security threat to the US.
The argument doesn’t stack up according to influential Washington insider, Clyde Prestowitz.
If the combination of the American military presence and their trade surpluses with the United States weren’t enough to mollify Asian leaders, no free trade deal would significantly change the situation.
Clyde Prestowitz was the founder and president of the Economic Strategy Institute, served in the Commerce Department under President Ronald Reagan and was vice chairman of President Bill Clinton’s Commission on Trade and Investment in the Asia Pacific Region.
