President Joe Biden on Monday plans to unveil a long-sought-after economic plan to include a region that will grow under Chinese influence, as he enters the second leg of his first Asian tour.
The announcement is one of the highlights of Biden’s visit to the continent, which began last week in South Korea and continues this week in Japan. Before Biden unveils the Indo-Pacific economic framework, which his aides call the IPEF, he will pay tribute to Japanese Emperor Naruhito and sit down in bilateral talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, where security issues may arise.
China has entered each of Biden’s stops, an unspoken but persistent factor in his dream of reassembling the US foreign policy to focus more on Asia. When he meets Tuesday with the leaders of the revitalized “Quad” group – the United States, Japan, India and Australia – it will be a clear intention to counter Beijing’s attempts to increase its influence among its neighbors.
The economic framework comes with the same goal. Since then President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans Pacific Partnership – a major trade agreement negotiated during Obama’s presidency – the US has not had a specific plan to negotiate with the region economically.
Meanwhile, China has secured several trade agreements with its neighbors, and has sought to exercise its influence in the global economy through the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Biden plan to announce on Monday is not a trade agreement in the traditional sense. It includes one “pillar” related to trade, but also includes other areas such as making supply chains stronger, promoting clean energy and fighting corruption.
By unveiling the framework, Biden appears to have no intention of re-joining the TPP, which is often unpopular among US lawmakers who will need to ratify the agreement. Instead, he hopes to produce an economic sector that can compete with China.
That will require convincing other countries to join – not just strong partners like Japan and South Korea but smaller countries, especially Southeast Asia, that are less closely aligned with the United States.
Previous critics of the program have suggested that it has no compensation – such as lowering prices – for reimbursement by joining. Biden’s aides suggest that there are other ways to facilitate further trade with the markets, and that the framework itself provides an attractive opportunity for participating countries to work closely with the United States. And if any, Biden’s announcement on Monday marks the beginning of a new writing process.
Already, China has responded strongly to this framework, with the ambassador calling it a “closed and special group”.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while Biden was leaving South Korea for Japan, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said they were expected to be criticized.
“It does not surprise me that China is concerned about the number of countries, the diversity of countries that have expressed interest and enthusiasm for the IPEF,” he said. “It is natural that they will try to find ways to ask questions.”