Trump to Asia: Unite on North Korea, but Go It Alone on Trade
- 7 years ago
Trump to Asia: Unite on North Korea, but Go It Alone on Trade
Rather than uphold principles of free trade, he said, it contributed to a systematic exploitation of Americans, in which “jobs, factories
and industries were stripped out of the United States.”
While Mr. Trump vowed never to sign a regional trade deal like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which he withdrew the United States early in his presidency, the remaining 11 members of
that deal agreed on Saturday to press on with it, creating a “broader free-trade area” across Asia that will pointedly exclude the United States.
“For Trump to come with an ‘America First’ agenda leaves Asian leaders in the lurch.”
Jeffrey A. Bader, a former China adviser to President Barack Obama, said Mr. Trump’s words
would make Asian leaders “feel that the U. S. is less of a factor in the region.”
“They’re always looking for hedges against local bullies, like China,” he added, “and the U. S. is much less of a hedge.”
Indeed, Mr. Trump was the odd man out at this meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
DANANG, Vietnam — President Trump has issued two starkly contradictory calls on his trip to Asia this past week: The nations of the world must rally behind the United States to confront the nuclear threat from North Korea,
but they should expect America to go its own way on trade.
“There is no place like home,” he told Pacific Rim leaders, warning them that the United States would never again sign a regionwide trade agreement.
Rather than uphold principles of free trade, he said, it contributed to a systematic exploitation of Americans, in which “jobs, factories
and industries were stripped out of the United States.”
While Mr. Trump vowed never to sign a regional trade deal like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which he withdrew the United States early in his presidency, the remaining 11 members of
that deal agreed on Saturday to press on with it, creating a “broader free-trade area” across Asia that will pointedly exclude the United States.
“For Trump to come with an ‘America First’ agenda leaves Asian leaders in the lurch.”
Jeffrey A. Bader, a former China adviser to President Barack Obama, said Mr. Trump’s words
would make Asian leaders “feel that the U. S. is less of a factor in the region.”
“They’re always looking for hedges against local bullies, like China,” he added, “and the U. S. is much less of a hedge.”
Indeed, Mr. Trump was the odd man out at this meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
DANANG, Vietnam — President Trump has issued two starkly contradictory calls on his trip to Asia this past week: The nations of the world must rally behind the United States to confront the nuclear threat from North Korea,
but they should expect America to go its own way on trade.
“There is no place like home,” he told Pacific Rim leaders, warning them that the United States would never again sign a regionwide trade agreement.