AFP, Washington :
Facing fierce opposition to a landmark Asia-Pacific trade deal, US President Barack Obama on Tuesday made a last-ditch economic and strategic case for Washington setting the terms of global trade.
Painting the 12-country pact-which does not include China-as part of a battle with Beijing for regional influence, Obama also warned strengthening anti-trade forces that they could not roll back the tide.
The pact is strongly backed by the White House-where it is seen as a key part of Obama’s “pivot to Asia”-but is opposed by both presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
It has yet to be ratified by Congress, where legislators have one eye on the November elections.
“Right now I’m president, and I’m for it,” Obama said tersely, indicating a fresh push to get it passed before he leaves office in January.
“If we don’t establish strong rules, norms for how trade and commerce are conducted in the Asia-Pacific region, then China will,” Obama said as he hosted Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the White House.
“We are part of a global economy. We’re not reversing that. It can’t be reversed.”
Instead, Obama said the vexed Trans-Pacific Partnership was part of the answer to questions like “how do we make sure that globalization, technology, automation, those things work for us, not against us?”
Facing fierce opposition to a landmark Asia-Pacific trade deal, US President Barack Obama on Tuesday made a last-ditch economic and strategic case for Washington setting the terms of global trade.
Painting the 12-country pact-which does not include China-as part of a battle with Beijing for regional influence, Obama also warned strengthening anti-trade forces that they could not roll back the tide.
The pact is strongly backed by the White House-where it is seen as a key part of Obama’s “pivot to Asia”-but is opposed by both presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
It has yet to be ratified by Congress, where legislators have one eye on the November elections.
“Right now I’m president, and I’m for it,” Obama said tersely, indicating a fresh push to get it passed before he leaves office in January.
“If we don’t establish strong rules, norms for how trade and commerce are conducted in the Asia-Pacific region, then China will,” Obama said as he hosted Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the White House.
“We are part of a global economy. We’re not reversing that. It can’t be reversed.”
Instead, Obama said the vexed Trans-Pacific Partnership was part of the answer to questions like “how do we make sure that globalization, technology, automation, those things work for us, not against us?”
