Trump pulls US from Trans-Pacific pact. The consequences for China
The new US president receives the support of Bernie Sanders: these agreements are "a disaster" and have cost "millions of jobs" for Americans. John McCain: The US withdrawal from the Pacific leaves all the space open for Chinese hegemony. Cuts to funding of international organizations that procure abortions.
Washington (AsiaNews / Agencies) - As promised in the election campaign, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the TTP Trade pact (Trans-Pacific Partnership).
The gesture was rather symbolic because Congress had not yet ratified it. By canceling the agreement, Trump said: "What we have done is a great thing for the American worker." Democrat Bernie Sanders, former candidate for the White House, has expressed support for the Trump move, saying that agreements such as the TTP were "a disaster" and have cost millions of jobs for the United States.
"For the last 30 years - said Sanders - we have had a series of trade deals - including the North American Free Trade Agreement[linking Mexico, USA and Canada],, permanent normal trade relations with China and others - which have cost us millions of decent-paying jobs and caused a ‘race to the bottom’ which has lowered wages for American workers."
The TTP was negotiated in 2015 and aimed at strengthening economic ties between Asia-Pacific nations such as the US, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico. It outlined common criteria for treatment at work, respect for the environment, for copyrights, etc .. to create a sort of single market. The pact did not include China.
Trump has often stressed that he is not against business, but wants to have a "fair trade", accusing countries such as Japan or China which place huge taxes on US products, making sales difficult in their countries.
According to some commentators the Trump move and its prospects of "withdrawing" from the Asia-Pacific market is very dangerous because it leaves all the space open to China. "US withdrawal from the pact “will create an opening for China to rewrite the economic rules of the road at the expense of American workers,” - said Republican Senator John McCain - “And it will send a troubling signal of American disengagement in the Asia-Pacific region at a time we can least afford it.”
On the same day, Trump also canceled all funding for international groups that provide abortion for population control.
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