P. Uthamraj asked: Do TPP versus RCEP show Cold War mentality?

Jagannath P. Panda replies: To some extent, yes. The TPP and the RCEP show the Cold War mentality of the USA and China respectively. Yet, we must note that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are not necessarily two contending trade liberalizing models limited to the USA-China politics. Their arrival has posed stiff political challenges for many countries. While the success of the TPP hinges on the global economic authority of the USA and how the negotiation process unfolds, the future dynamism of RCEP will depend heavily upon how China and the ASEAN conduct their negotiation process and accommodate the interests of other regional powers, including India. Hitherto, it has been no secret that both RCEP and TPP will greatly affect and influence the ASEAN and the role of its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner countries, including China and India.

For further details on the subject, please refer to my following publication:

Jagannath P. Panda, “Factoring the RCEP and the TPP: China, India and the Politics of Regional Integration”, Strategic Analysis, Routledge, 38 (1), January 2014, pp. 49-67.

Posted on March 05, 2014