Although Obama is facing set back at home due to the loss of
the majority in the Senate, he is promoting our world presence and attending
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). David Nakamura of the Washington Post, published an article
discussing how Obama went on a week-long trip to the Asia-Pacific in order to
promote America’s growing economy to regional nations. Obama took this opportunity to discuss with
the regional nations that he wants to establish “deeper economic partnerships”
and is looking to organize a free-trade pact with the United States. It is
clear that Obama is trying to have America have a stronger latent power amongst
other nations, specifically in the Asia-Pacific. China is the powerhouse of the
Asia-Pacific when it comes to trading and economics, but America is trying to
make more of presence and show that it is still a world power.
Obama’s
trip to the Asia-Pacific was to reassure that America is not falling behind and
is continuing to move forward. Obama has some serious competition though. With
losing the majority in the Senate, nations are raising concerns about the United
States’; power, and China’s President, Xi Jinping, presented “a rising China as
an alternative power”. This is proof that “politics matter” when it comes to
the international political economy. Although Obama stated, “the United States
welcomes the rise of a prosperous peaceful, and stable China,” there is an
undertone of discomfort among the American people that China will rise above
the United States, and that this is the proof of it starting to happen. Obama
is trying to organize a 12-member Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade
pact, which is provide a new market access for goods and services made in
America. In essence, this trade to try to make sure we do not fall behind our
competition in that area, mostly meaning China.
Realists may argue this interdependence
makes the United States vulnerable because the US is depending on other
countries to support our economy too much. Liberals may argue that cooperating
is possible and can be beneficial but is not always easy to organize and
facilitate. Regardless of liberal and realists views, it is arguable that
America has to “step up its game” in order to keep competing with China, or
else America may find itself losing its credibility as a major power.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-beijing-obama-renews-push-for-trade-pact-he-says-could-be-historic-agreement/2014/11/10/8939a2e2-68a0-11e4-a31c-77759fc1eacc_story.html
do you think there is any sort of benefit that would come from being number 2 instead of #1? do you think maybe terrorist attacks (or fear of) would lower? do you think the US would move the focus to its individual people instead of always focusing on trying to stay #1? food for thought.
ReplyDeleteI think the U.S. benefits greatly from China's production and affluence, seeing that so many of our goods are imported from there. But, I don't think China would be as interested in anything the U.S. has to offer. I'm not sure that China would be receptive of a free-trade agreement, and I doubt it would change China's perception of the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would send panic to American's if we were number two instead of one, but it may be a good thing. There may not be as much pressure on the US to police the world and they may not be as much of a target for terrorist attacks since we are not the number one. Although that is a theory, I also believe that terrorists attack the US not because we are number one, but because of our foreign policies and interventions so being number two may not lower attacks.
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