Media Mentions

Uzair Younus spoke with the BBC’s Yalda Hakim.

“U.S. allies are concerned about the potential weakening of the basics of American democracy,” he said.

Amb. Kurt Tong said “the mindset seems to be that some foreign missions are not welcome.”

Dr. Evan Medeiros joins a new podcast series that explores what has shaped Xi Jinping’s thinking.

Around the world, Beijing is investing heavily in diplomatic, security, cultural, and economic ties in a bid to increase its global influence, strengthen its ability to protect and advance its national interests, attract support in multilateral fora and international institutions, and fracture the global consensus on key issues it views as unfavorable to its geopolitical ambitions. The Pacific Islands region—defined as the vast stretch of Pacific Ocean between Asian littoral waters in the west, Guam in the north and Hawaii in the northeast, and Australia and New Zealand in the south and southwest—has been no exception.

The conclusion of the first round of talks for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which filled out what countries would discuss going forward, underscored the commitment of Asian nations to engage with the United States on trade, said economists.

The ministerial-level meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a new economic zone initiative led by the United States, began in Los Angeles on the 8th. A major focus of this meeting is how the 14 countries will be involved in the four areas called “pillars.” While some pillars are popular with many countries wanting to participate, others are likely to become unpopular due to concerns about being forced to create strict rules.

Economic policy commentators across the Indo-Pacific region have expressed concern that the U.S. has taken a step back from traditional market-opening initiatives, which emphasize tariff reduction and the elimination of at-the-border barriers to international trade and investment.

Another week, another delegation of U.S. officials has arrived in Taiwan for talks with government and business leaders of the self-governed island that China claims as part of its sovereign territory…Kurt Tong, former U.S. ambassador to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, said U.S.-Taiwan trade talks are likely to be less provocative to China than political or military moves.

TAG Managing Partner Amb. Kurt Tong joins David Westin on Bloomberg TV’s Balance of Power to discuss China’s economic problems.