On October 18, Robert Manning authored an op-ed in The Hill, questioning whether the Biden administration is moving towards a trade strategy. Manning made the case for the US reconsidering joining the Transpacific Partnership, or an equivalent, and seeking out more free-trade agreements to bolster its standing in the Asia Pacific.
“The U.S. tends to see strategic competition with China in military-centric terms. And while counterbalancing China is a crucial part of a smart U.S. strategy, the game is principally one of geoeconomics and geotechnology.”