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 Obama has been pushing to finalize the TPP before he leaves office
on Jan. 20, but he needs to overcome strong anti-trade sentiment
from both the left wing of his own Democratic Party as well as from
the right flank of the Republican Party.
Voter anxiety over the impact of trade deals on jobs and the
environment has featured large in the campaigns of Donald Trump, the
Republican front-runner for the Nov. 8 presidential election, and
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running against Hillary Clinton
for the Democratic nomination.
In an opinion piece published on the website of the Washington Post
on Monday, Obama said he understood voter skepticism but that
"building walls to isolate ourselves from the global economy" would
backfire on the American economy.
"China is negotiating a trade deal that would carve up some of the
fastest-growing markets in the world at our expense, putting
American jobs, businesses and goods at risk," Obama said in the
piece.
Obama was referring to the 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership, or RCEP, and noted that China was seeking to finalize
the deal by the end of the year.
"That trade deal won't prevent unfair competition among
government-subsidized, state-owned enterprises. It won't protect a
free and open Internet," Obama said, also criticizing the RCEP's
lack of protections for intellectual property, labor standards and
the environment.
Obama, who plans a visit to TPP partners Japan and Vietnam later
this month, argued the TPP would allow America to "call the shots"
on trade with Asia.
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"That's why my administration is working closely with leaders in
congress to secure bipartisan approval for our trade agreement,
mindful that the longer we wait, the harder it will be to pass the
TPP," he said.
Asked about Obama's comments, China's Foreign Ministry said global
trade rules should be discussed by all countries, not just set by
one.
China has an open attitude towards TPP, which should be promoted
together along with RCEP to help achieve the goal of a free trade
zone in the Asia Pacific, ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily
news briefing in Beijing.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard
in Beijing; Editing by Tom Brown and Clarence Fernandez)
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