Secretary of State Antony Blinken came to Southeast Asia with a similar message to other American officials who recently visited: The U.S. is standing up against China, bolstering alliances, and providing vaccines and infrastructure.
But on one of the most important issues for the region — economic strategy — he didn’t have much to offer.
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President Joe Biden and members of his administration have for months been promising an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework covering topics such as clean energy, digital standards and resilient supply chains.
Last month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said it “could be even more robust” than a traditional trade deal like the 11-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership that then President Donald Trump exited in 2017.
Yet details have been scarce, and countries in the region aren’t convinced. Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said earlier this month the U.S. needed an “equally substantial alternative” to the CPTPP to match its extensive security presence.
Generally Asia-Pacific countries have welcomed the Biden government’s focus on building alliances, particularly after the chaotic Trump years. But they also want the U.S. to remain an economic counterweight to China, which is now bidding to join the trade partnership.
Biden so far appears to want the benefits of a deal like the CPTPP without the political costs of selling it to the American public. And while Blinken and other U.S. officials are saying all the right things, inaction is beginning to speak louder than words. — Daniel Ten Kate