"China is negotiating a trade deal that would carve up some of the
fastest-growing markets in the world at our expense, putting American
jobs, businesses and goods at risk," Obama said in the piece.
Obama says Chinese-led trade deal shows need for TPP(Reuters)
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that a Chinese-led regional trade deal demonstrated the urgent need for Congress to approve the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.
Obama
has been pushing to finalize the TPP before he leaves office on Jan.
20, but he needs to overcome strong anti-trade sentiment from both the
left wing of his own Democratic Party as well as from the right flank of the Republican Party.
Voter anxiety over the impact of trade deals on jobs and the environment has featured large in the campaigns of Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner for the Nov. 8 presidential election, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
In
an opinion piece published on the website of the Washington Post on
Monday, Obama said he understood voter skepticism but that "building walls to isolate ourselves from the global economy" would backfire on the American economy.
"China
is negotiating a trade deal that would carve up some of the
fastest-growing markets in the world at our expense, putting American
jobs, businesses and goods at risk," Obama said in the piece.
Obama
was referring to the 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership, or RCEP, and noted that China was seeking to finalize the
deal by the end of the year.
"That trade deal
won't prevent unfair competition among government-subsidized,
state-owned enterprises. It won't protect a free and open Internet," Obama said, also criticizing the RCEP's lack of protections for intellectual property, labor standards and the environment.
Obama,
who plans a visit to TPP partners Japan and Vietnam later this month,
argued the TPP would allow America to "call the shots" on trade with
Asia.
"That's why my administration is working
closely with leaders in congress to secure bipartisan approval for our
trade agreement, mindful that the longer we wait, the harder it will be
to pass the TPP," he said.
Asked about
Obama's comments, China's Foreign Ministry said global trade rules
should be discussed by all countries, not just set by one.
China
has an open attitude towards TPP, which should be promoted together
along with RCEP to help achieve the goal of a free trade zone in the
Asia Pacific, ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing in
Beijing.
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