US Carrot and Stick

Right now the news wires are full of the AirSea Battle concept and this is no coincidence. Without question the US is now engaging in a concerted push in the Asia Pacific region and offering a full package of engagement. What is important to note is the AirSea Battle concept is only half the story, the other half is shaping up as we speak at the APEC Summit in the form of the TransPacific Partnership. (TTP)

The TTP is the US vision of the future for Asia Pacific rehashing ideas such as;

• Comprehensive market access
• Regulatory coherence
• Government Procurement
• Protection of Intellectual Property
• Legal and labour rights

None of these ideas are new, but are concepts that are seen as been diluted in other agreements, especially where China is gaining traction. Therefore the US aims to realign Asia Pacific under the values that it cherishes and it has prospered from in the past.

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