5 - Revitalizing the US Pivot to Asia

Summary

The chapter provides an overview of US agreements with Asia. It first assesses the Asia polices of Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden and their key trade pacts with Asia-Pacific countries. The chapter also discusses the China challenge in the new era of President Xi Jinping and US measures that resulted in the US-China trade war. Moreover, it examines security and economic initiatives that underpin the ASEAN-US strategic partnership, as well as landmark features of the TPP and the subsequent CPTPP. Finally, the chapter proposes a two-pronged roadmap for the Biden administration to reassert US leadership in new Asian regionalism. The roadmap calls for the White House to prioritize accession to the CPTPP and to transform the TIFA to the ASEAN-US FTA, which allows for flexible participation by ASEAN countries.