Washington — Several departing US ambassadors in Asia, including Caroline Kennedy, urged Congress to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) "before the window for doing so closes," saying that a failure to adopt the free-trade deal would cede leadership to China in the region and hurt American workers. "Walking away from TPP may be seen by future generations as the moment America chose to cede leadership to others in this part of the world and accept a diminished role," the ambassadors wrote in a letter. "Such an outcome would be cause for celebration among those who favour ‘Asia for the Asians’ and state capitalism." The letter was a last-ditch and largely symbolic plea from the diplomats for lawmakers to buck sentiment aired during the presidential election that the 12-nation pact, which once had strong support and seemed destined for passage, was bad for the US economy. During the campaign, Donald Trump called the deal bad for the US and vowed to walk away from it on his first ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.