{"id":21986,"date":"2015-08-12T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T20:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=21986"},"modified":"2015-08-12T07:21:11","modified_gmt":"2015-08-11T21:21:11","slug":"the-trans-pacific-partnership-the-strategic-dimension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-trans-pacific-partnership-the-strategic-dimension\/","title":{"rendered":"The Trans Pacific Partnership\u2014the strategic dimension"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"strategy\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In Australia, we typically don\u2019t consider trade relationships and trade agreements as contributing to national security. Yet, there\u2019s an important strategic economic dimension. If two or more economies are prospering because all are able to trade competitively-priced products with each other, a common interest in the prosperity this creates and maintaining this open market emerges. This is the logic behind the Trans Pacific Partnership<\/a> (TPP) free trade agreement.<\/p>\n

The bigger the trade, the stronger the disincentive to let political disputes reach the point where military conflict ensues; a certain casualty of which would be disruption of trade and damage to economic growth. China\u2019s determination to mark territory in the South China Sea is an interesting test case. The nations opposed to this are the same ones with which China wants to build closer economic relationships. Considering the balance of interests, one must assume the economic interest will prevail. Raising living standards is obviously more important to the survivability of the Chinese Government than seeking strategic objectives when there is no strategic threat.<\/p>\n

Highly relevant to this is the emergence of mega free trade agreements among Asia\u2013Pacific economies. The TPP is the first example. It was announced as a tool in a \u2018new pivot\u2019 of US interest in strengthening its strategic engagement in East Asia. This presumably helped sell the idea to a US Congress which has classically been sceptical about \u2018free trade\u2019. China was initially suspicious\u2014if not somewhat hostile. The US also announced at the same time that it was strengthening its military presence in the Pacific. But when Japan joined the TPP negotiations, the new Chinese Government evidently saw a trade a grouping emerging which it wanted to join. Any nation for which trade is important becomes anxious if it sees other economies get freer access than it to the markets of others.<\/p>\n

The TPP agreement is important to Australia because it:<\/p>\n