Officials Press Obama to Visit South Korea, TPP Deal Before April
President Barack Obama should consider adding South Korea to his Asia tour itinerary in order to solidify South Korean interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, said Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) analysts in a Jan. 31 Washington Post editorial (here), along with President of Armitage International Richard Armitage. Following Obama’s decision to forgo a trip to the region last October, the administration informally said the president would visit select Asian countries in April (here). CSIS Senior Advisor Victor Cha, CSIS Senior Vice President for Asia Michael Green, and Armitage said Obama is currently planning to visit Japan, the Philippines and Malaysia.
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“Seoul is interested in ‘docking’ the U.S.-South Korea free-trade agreement into the broader Trans-Pacific Partnership being negotiated by the United States and 11 other countries. Korean participation in the partnership would further cement a future trading order in Asia that would include North America and drive exports for U.S. workers and farmers,” said the editorial. “The U.S. and South Korean governments need the discipline a presidential visit would impose if we are to conclude the unfinished business in our alliance. More important, friends and foes will be watching the president’s words and deeds to see whether the United States really has staying power in Asia. A trip without South Korea would send the wrong signal.”
The TPP partners should strive to conclude TPP negotiations prior to the April visit, said the Vietnamese and Japanese ambassadors to the U.S. during a Jan. 29 CSIS event. “We would love to see, when the president visits the region in April, there would be some big announcement to make on the TPP,” said Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong. “We, Vietnam, we also want to conclude …work with the United States and other TPP partners to conclude the TPP the sooner the better.”
There is political will to close the negotiations among all TPP participant nations, said the Japanese Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, although sensitive issues remain unresolved. The U.S. is requesting concessions on Japanese automobiles and agricultural that would bring formidable, domestic political pressure to the Japanese government, said Sasae. “I think now we are coming to the ending point. That’s why we’re facing enormous difficulties,” said Sasae. “The United States is asking for some special measures to be applied to the automobiles, which is pretty hard for the Japanese to swallow.”
Both ambassadors contended Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) passage is critical in assuring U.S. trade partners negotiating principles will be honored. “Definitely we need it. Unless the United States would have it, people might be worried what would happen if there is a negotiating result and lots of proposals and changes take place,” said Sasae. “Nobody would be seriously negotiating to find a landing zone. So welcome and support the passing of TPA in the Congress as soon as possible.”