Such a dodge would be deeply unwise. Since Biden took office, the U.S. has recovered much ground lost to China in the region — strengthening security ties with allies and partners, regaining the diplomatic initiative on issues ranging from vaccines to climate, and reviving faith in U.S. leadership. At the same time, it continues to lag badly on measures of economic engagement. China trades nearly three times as much with the rest of the region as the U.S. does and far outpaces Washington in economic diplomacy. This week, the United Nations estimated that China would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of increased intra-regional trade once the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership goes into effect next year.
The U.S. Can’t Keep Dodging the Trade Issue in Asia
