Free Trade Agreements and the US-China-Australia Relationship in the Asia-Pacific Region
22 Pages Posted: 1 Nov 2013
Date Written: May 30, 2013
Abstract
In the wake of the Asian century, the Asia-Pacific region has seen a proliferation of FTAs. The driving force behind the initial formation of these agreements since the 1990s, however, has moved away from focusing on economic incentives to more strategic geopolitical concerns. This article examines the employment of FTAs by the US, china and Australia to further their geopolitical interests in the Asia-Pacific region in the context of the strong trading relationship between china and Australia on the one hand, and the strong strategic relationship the US has had with Australia on the other. Australia's roadmap to the future as set out in its recently released White Paper provides valuable insights into this interlinked relationship.
Keywords: WTO, FTA, TPP, RCEP, CEPA, realism, liberalism, constructivism
JEL Classification: H77, K33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation