Room for agreement between Obama, GOP on foreign policy
- By Mitchell Blatt
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China.org.cn, January 31, 2015
One important trade deal under negotiation now is the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement between a dozen countries in Asia and the Americas. The TPP would include countries like Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and all of North America. Conspicuously absent is China, although it may join in the future. China has been creating global institutions on its own. This reflects a broader ongoing diplomatic battle for influence on the global stage. Many of the global institutions involved in trade and diplomacy today were created when the West was ascendant, and now China seeks to use its power to create conditions on the world stage that are more favorable to its positions.
Speaking to this factor, Obama said, "But as we speak, China wants to write the rules for the world's fastest-growing region. That would put our workers and businesses at a disadvantage. Why would we let that happen? We should write those rules."
During Obama's tenure, he made a "Pivot to Asia" in recognition of the growing importance of the region. America has opened relations with Myanmar and is selling weapons to Vietnam. Vietnam is one of many countries that claim disputed islands in the region, along with American allies like Japan.
Obama said, "In the Asia Pacific, we are modernizing alliances while making sure that other nations play by the rules – in how they trade, how they resolve maritime disputes, and how they participate in meeting common international challenges like nonproliferation and disaster relief."
Much of those actions can come through executive action with or without congressional support. For example, Obama began taking steps to open relations with Cuba in December, starting with an exchange of prisoners. The plans were made after 18 months of secret negotiations. Republicans in Congress largely oppose restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, and they may try to keep the trade embargo in place.
"When what you're doing doesn't work for fifty years, it's time to try something new," Obama said of the embargo, which he called on Congress to lift. Whether Obama can change trade policy with Cuba unilaterally is a question debated by scholars. Getting a change through Congress would be hard. In a show of opposition, the Speaker of the House John Boehner invited Cuban dissidents to attend the speech.
Obama is also trying to make a deal with Iran without being stifled by Congress. A potential deal to restrict Iran's nuclear program is in the works. Republicans (with the help of hawkish Democrats like Sen. Robert Menendez, who also opposes Obama's Cuba policy) are working on a sanctions bill even as Obama is giving Iran the opportunity to have sanctions lightened in exchange for slowing down nuclear development. Obama would certainly veto such legislation, but he said that Congress voting to pass the bill could nonetheless obstruct negotiations with Iran: "New sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails … ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again," he said.
The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)