Martin Fritz (DW correspondent in Tokyo) How to get China to follow the global free trade order? The Trump administration has resorted to imposing sanctions, investment bans and punitive tariffs on certain Chinese companies, and has advocated "decoupling" from the Chinese economy. Asia, on the other hand, has taken the exact opposite approach and established the world's largest free trade zone, with RCEP covering a population of 2.2 billion and accounting for nearly 30% of global GDP. Getting China to play by the rules clearly has the potential to be more effective than the forme.
The United States is reluctant to cede its superpower status so quickly. Trump's anti-China policies photo background removing also reflect a consensus among American elites to maintain their hegemony for as long as possible. However, China's rise cannot be stopped. The latest economic growth target, doubling China's total economic output by 2035, is entirely possible. China will thus replace the United States as the global economic leader. cooperation rather than confrontation Unlike the United States, China's Asian neighbors have embraced this imminent change in power. They are thinking of long-term interests, and the Cold War is not a realistic option. They chose to bind China with cooperation.
With this in mind, U.S. allies Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand have all signed the world's largest trade pact. By joining the RCEP, they can benefit from China's growing economy and avoid becoming vassals of Beijing decades later. South Korea and Japan, in particular, are experienced in maintaining intensive economic relations with China on the one hand, and political distance from China on the other. They realize that China has activated the world economy twice: the huge investment plan after the 2008/2009 global financial crisis, and the rapid economic recovery in the world caught in the new crown crisis. Rather than isolating Beijing, it is better to maintain a window of dialogue with China and let things move in their interests. Asia, the center of the world economy Asian countries have once again demonstrated their strategic thinking skills and political foresight. Thanks to