US Opinion and Commentary

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Making China Great Again

Posted December 5th, 2016 at 11:05 am (UTC-4)
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By Barbara Slavin Even before he held a provocative phone call with the president of Taiwan on Friday, President-elect Donald Trump espoused policies that, if implemented, will likely strengthen China’s regional and global influence at the expense of the United States. Trump’s apparent insistence on negotiating individual trade treaties as a substitute for the Trans-Pacific […]

Japan’s Shinzo Abe First to Call on Donald Trump

Posted November 17th, 2016 at 4:38 pm (UTC-4)
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Donald Trump’s first meeting as president-elect with a head of state will be closely scrutinized for both style and substance.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took the initiative to be the first to meet with Trump for practical reasons. During the election campaign, Trump criticized Japan for its trade practices and for how much it was paying the U.S. for its defense. Abe wants to understand the level of Trump’s commitment to defend Japan. He wants to, in his words, “build trust” with incoming U.S. president and highlight the importance of strong relations between the countries.

Trump needs to get used to seeing Abe. New rules will allow Abe to run for a third term, which means he will likely lead Japan throughout Trump’s first term. How the two leaders get along will speak volumes about how Trump deals with fellow world leaders — and how they might deal with him.

Here’s a Problem with the TPP that Hillary Clinton Ignores at her Peril

Posted July 25th, 2016 at 11:29 am (UTC-4)
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There is not a single mention of climate change or human rights in the treaty text….While leaked documents from the TPP negotiations suggest the U.S. acquiesced to other countries attempts to weaken the agreement, history shows that tying environmental and human rights issues into larger strategic agreements actually strengthens these treaties.

Moving On in Vietnam, but Remembering Its Lessons

Posted May 24th, 2016 at 11:58 am (UTC-4)
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Looking to the future, we know that mutual interests…will drive our partnership with Vietnam. But it is strengthened, as well, by the natural affinities between our societies. These include family ties, a tendency toward optimism, a fierce desire for freedom and independence and a hard-earned appreciation that peace is far, far preferable to war.

India’s Dizzying Growth Is Not to Be Ignored

Posted November 12th, 2015 at 5:36 pm (UTC-4)
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This week, President Barack Obama used a newly-established “hotline” to send India his best as it marked Diwali, the country’s famed festival of lights. That same day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted the following: “President Obama & I look forward to meeting in Turkey during the G20 Summit.” It all sounds rather chummy. But not to economists and the like, who warn the United States is missing out on THE moment to engage more deeply with New Delhi. Why? Because this year, India surpassed China, becoming the world’s fastest growing major economy.

Thre Great Trans-Pacific Partnership Debate

Posted November 10th, 2015 at 1:40 pm (UTC-4)
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So are we better off with or without the TPP? If Congress ratifies it, that won’t turbocharge the U.S. economy. If Congress blocks the deal, that won’t stop globalization. And like any trade agreement, it creates winners and losers.

A Trade Deal for Working Families

Posted November 10th, 2015 at 1:36 pm (UTC-4)
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“…As any middle-class family will tell you, we have more to do. That’s why I believe the Trans-Pacific Partnership is so important. It’s a trade deal that helps working families get ahead.” President Barack Obama

12 Nation Trans-Pacific Partnership Aims to Rebalance Global Economic Power

Posted October 7th, 2015 at 4:39 pm (UTC-4)
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Amid the din of news about Russia’s air strikes in Syria and the deadly – but mistaken – U.S. bombing of a charity hospital in Afghanistan came a quieter, but no less significant, change in the global landscape. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is touted by President Obama as a “21st century trade agreement” that brings together 12 nations, including the U.S. and Japan, in a far-reaching free trade deal. Central to the debate over its merits is China. Should China have been included? Or was it the right call to keep Beijing out?

President Obama Needs to Fight for His New Trade Deal

Posted October 6th, 2015 at 8:40 am (UTC-4)
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…Monday’s agreement is just the end of the beginning for TPP: Obama still has to get Congress to pass it, and that’s no done deal.

Congress Derails Obama’s Pitch for “Fast Track” Trade Authority

Posted June 12th, 2015 at 12:07 pm (UTC-4)
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In a stunning defeat, Democrats deserted their president on a vote for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a bill that would have bolstered his negotiating power in trade deals with 11 other Pacific Rim countries. Ironically, House Republicans largely supported the measure that would have allowed Obama to make deals with far less congressional meddling.