US's secrecy means Asia must oppose trade deal

[unhappycamper]

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/uss-secrecy-means-asia-must-oppose-trade-deal-20131229-301lf.html



The TPP is an economic Trojan horse.

US's secrecy means Asia must oppose trade deal
December 30, 2013
William Pesek

Self-awareness often eludes US officials who push American interests on Asia. John Kerry's visit to Vietnam was a case in point as the Secretary of State implored the government to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In his pitch earlier this month, Kerry said the US-led trade deal would bring ''transparency'' and ''accountability'' to the communist nation, helping it become a more open society that supports free expression. An odd thought, considering the Big Brother-like secrecy enshrouding the treaty on the US side.

The pro-TPP argument goes as follows: this is the moment Asia's reformers have been waiting for; it is a chance for Japan to take on vested interests, Malaysia to kill growth-stifling affirmative action policies, Vietnam to rein in bloated state-owned enterprises and Singapore to spur innovation. Think of the TPP as an economic Trojan horse - a means of shaking up stagnant political systems by stealth.

Yet the dearth of details about the treaty is exactly why Asia should opt out of the most ambitious free-trade deal in US history.