China-backed trade deal excludes US from playing a pivotal role at ASEAN summit as Donald Trump jumps from conference

Singapore: World leaders will plead for the swift conclusion of a mbadive trade deal, backed by China, excluding the United States at a summit this week, to denounce growing protectionism and Donald Trump's "America First" program.

China, Japan, India and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region could announce a broad agreement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which covers half of the world's population on the sidelines of the annual gathering. Not only is the United States absent from the agreement, but Trump skips the Singapore summit, underscoring how far it has strayed from efforts to shape the rules of world trade and raises new questions about Washington's commitment in Asia.

Shortly after taking office, Trump launched his unilateral trade policy by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement signed by his predecessor Barack Obama to bind fast-growing Asian powers in a US-backed order. United. counter China. His approach left the opportunity in Beijing to promote a competing pact, the 16-member RCEP, a free trade agreement that also aims to reduce tariffs and integrate markets, but offers lower protection in the areas of employment and the environment. 19659002] The Obama-backed pact was maintained even without the United States and is due to come into effect this year, but the Beijing-backed pact now surpbades it as the world's largest. Announce in Singapore that the negotiations for the agreement – which officially began in 2012 – are largely concluded would be "important as a symbol of Asia's commitment to trade in times of increasing global tensions, "Deborah Elms, executive director of the Asian Trade Center, AFP

She said that negotiations in some areas should continue next year , however, while a diplomat badistant at the summit, expressing anonymously, said that a "substantial progress" had been made but that there were still points of friction. The gathering of 20 world leaders is taking place in the context of a trade dispute that has lasted for several months between China and the United States after Trump imposed tariffs on most Chinese imports this summer, and that Beijing has fought back with its own levies.

The impact will be far beyond the United States and China, and during the four days of meetings on Monday, leaders will want to voice their grievances to Vice President Mike Pence, in place of Trump, and Prime Minister Li Keqiang. The absence of Mr. Trump at the Singapore meeting and at a subsequent meeting of world leaders in Papua New Guinea is even more noticeable since Obama launched a so-called "pivot to the world". Asia "to direct more American economic and military resources into the region. participant.

However, Washington says it remains committed to Asia, highlighting the regular visits of senior officials. We are fully engaged, "insisted Patrick Murphy, one of the highest State Department diplomats in Asia. This is very strong and has been strengthened under the current government. "Myanmar leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, attends the meetings, and delivers a speech delivered at a business forum on Monday.

She may be criticized for her military crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya who has seen hundreds of thousands of people flee to Bangladesh last year and has aroused rare criticism of Myanmar within the regional bloc, the Southeast Asian Nations Association (ASEAN). The North Korean nuclear program will also be on the agenda
Trump and his North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement on denuclearization at a historic summit in June, but progress have been slow since Beijing will also continue to pressure Beijing for its growing aggression in the South China Sea.

China claims almost all strategic and vital waters, a source of friction with the Asian states of South East which have overlapping claims as well as the United States, the traditionally dominant military power in the region. Other leaders present include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
But the focus will be on the RCEP, with leaders seeking to send a message in favor of free trade. The agreement brings together the 10 members of ASEAN, as well as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

World leaders "should present a united front for trade liberalization in the Asia-Pacific region Rajiv Biswas, chief regional economist at IHS Markit, told the press AFP .