transpacific partnership (tpp) agreement. is the commercial solution for political-military tension at the region? or is an american strategy to diminish china influence in asia?

China and the United States have had a difficult relation over the past 10 years. First of all, the rise of China as a military and economic superpower on the world´s stage is seen under suspicion and discontent by the American political, military and even economic authorities. The United States government does not fully believe China´s intention of pacific rise and has perceived the Chinese government more as a strategic rival than a partner. On the economic field the Americans manufacturing companies complain of China´s distorted economic policies that keep its currency undervalued and subsidise its own companies at the expense of foreign enterprises. On the political side, the American Congress has repeatedly accused the Chinese government of systematically violating its people´s fundamental Human Rights and has pointed out the Chinese governments´ attempts to stop democratic manifestations in the country. As for the military, the U.S. Pentagon publishes each year an updated document on the Chinese military capabilities, rising concerns about China´s fast-growing military modernisation.

All these accusations have been replied by the Chinese counterparts of Commerce, Military and Political agencies, whose general answer is to point out the American’s lack of knowledge about China’s development. Whenever the Pentagon makes a statement about China’s military capabilities; the Chinese Military Speaker replies that his country has no intention to compete militarily with the United States army. Whenever the U.S. Secretary of State argues that China does not respect Human Rights; the Chinese government question the American interference in other countries’ internal affairs. Whenever the American industrialists complain about China’s economic subsidies; the Chinese government remind them about the United States’ tendency of subsidising its own economic sectors, such as the agriculture.

China and the United States disagree upon several subjects, but they are members of one of the wealthiest regions in the world: Asia-Pacific and both of them attend the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), which main goal is to establish a Free Trade Area for the 21 member economies by 2020. Unfortunately, Apec’s goal has been delayed by the lack of consensus among its members. Since 2011, the United States and other Apec Apec’s members have openly supported The Transpacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), which could be a brilliant strategy to boost the members’ economic growth through their commercial linkage in Asia-Pacific. However, the fact that China has not been invited by the U.S. to TPP poses the question of whether this strategy has intentions beyond its economic interests and seeks to diminish China’s economic political influence in Asia. If the American administration intends to exclude China from this ambitious economic integration, the Tpp’s potential will never be reached.