China to Fill Void If U.S. Drops TPP, Froman Says

The U.S. and China have rival strategies for the Asia-Pacific region, and Beijing will fill the void if Washington withdraws from the trans-Pacific trade pact, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said.

“We see it happening in real time,” he said in his final speech to the Washington International Trade Association. “What we feared and what we warned would come true is coming true before our eyes.”

Froman contrasted multiple ongoing Chinese trade and investment initiatives, such as the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) talks, with the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which doesn’t include Beijing. If the U.S. fails to ...