Whether or not China should join TPP
- By Pang Zhongying
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E-mail China.org.cn, October 10, 2015
China joining the TPP meets U.S.desire
The U.S. has never said the TPP will reject China, while China has also kept an open mind to join the TPP. Actually, the main purpose of the U.S. is to include China in the TPP, rather than to leave China outside the deal to challenge the existing international system and rules.
It's up to China to decide if the country will accept U.S. leadership. In recent years, Sino-Japanese relations have gotten worse. The fact that China is no longer accepting Japan's dominance in Asia's economy is extremely frustrating for the Japanese.
If China becomes a member of the TPP, it will improve the relations between China and the U.S. However, Taiwan has already affirmatively disclosed that it would like to join the TPP. If China also applies to be a TPP member, it will be a significant geopolitical signal showing that China is willing to accept U.S. dominance on international affairs.
China won't set a separate order
Until now, China has had no plan to establish a separate international order. During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the U.S., he confirmed that China won't "challenge" the existing international order, and will continue to maintain the post-war international order experienced since World War II.
Regarding the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China has done significant work to blend itself into the international financial system. The Chinese Yuan has become more and more internationalized after being an international reserve currency.
Deciding to join the TPP and accept U.S dominance, or to instead establish a separate international order are both ill-suited choices for China. The direction that Sino-world relations should go is a tough diplomatic problem China has to face in the near future.
The writer is dean of the School of International Studies, Sun Yat-sen University.
The article was translated by Lin Liyao. Its original unabridged version was published in Chinese.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
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