US draws sword of trade retribution

straits times ^

[maui_hawaii]

Only those nations which stood by it when the going got tough, like 'our friend Singapore', will get trade backing

WASHINGTON - Support us on security issues and we will back you on trade. Go against us, and your trade relations with the United States will suffer.

That was the message coming out of Washington on Thursday, with Singapore cited by US Secretary of State Colin Powell as a 'good friend' whose interests would be tended to in view of its firm support during the Iraq war.

Mr Powell was speaking at the launch of the new United States Asia Pacific Council. Made up of distinguished American citizens, it is backed by the State Department and has been created as a new vehicle for increasing US links with the Asia-Pacific region.

Its launch was also attended by US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, and featured a video address by one of Mr Powell's predecessors, Mr George Schultz, chairman of the new council.

In his speech, Mr Powell referred glowingly to how 'our allies in East Asia have been our key partners in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They stood by us when the going got tough.'

'They did not waver,' he said, naming Australia, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and 'our good friend Singapore'.

In cherishing such friends, he said he followed Mr Schultz's motto 'to tend the garden'. The new US Asia Pacific Council, he said, 'will help us as we tend the garden in Asia'.

But the garden will be tended selectively as indicated in the opening remarks at the launch of the council by Dr Fred Bergsten, director of the Institute for International Studies in Washington.

Referring to post-war changes in US policy towards Asia, Dr Bergsten said Washington is likely to differentiate between those who supported the coalition and those who did not.

He mentioned the free-trade agreements that countries like Singapore and Chile are seeking with the US.

'Singapore, a member of the coalition, will see its free-trade agreement proceed on schedule,' said Dr Bergsten. 'Chile, which did not cooperate, will not.'

Mr Zoellick, in his speech at the council, lauded the upcoming US-Singapore FTA, which he described as 'a cutting-edge agreement' that could serve as a template for agreements with other Asean members. The pact 'will be signed by the President and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on May 6. I just spoke to the President about that yesterday,' he said.

Other statements on the same day indicated that Singapore appreciates this new reality in Washington.

In her testimony before the International Trade Commission, Singapore's Ambassador to the US, Professor Chan Heng Chee, crisply listed the economic and strategic benefits of the trade pact. 'Singapore is more than a friend,' she added. 'We are a member of the coalition for the immediate disarmament of Iraq.'

In their response, the three members of the trade commission were clearly disposed to support the pact.

Other countries in South-east Asia who are seeking similar trade benefits are likely to find their applications assessed according to how strongly they back US security measures - not only in Iraq, but in the global war against terrorism.

For example, there is talk in Washington that Thailand's lukewarm support for the US-led war in Iraq will hold up its FTA aspirations.

Naturally, many are unhappy about this. Dr Hadi Soesastro, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, said in Washington that everyone in Indonesia was against the Iraq war, but in a very measured and subdued way. So his country's anti-war stance should not be used against it in its trade relations with the US.

[Maynerd]

Naturally, many are unhappy about this. Dr Hadi Soesastro, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, said in Washington that everyone in Indonesia was against the Iraq war, but in a very measured and subdued way. So his country's anti-war stance should not be used against it in its trade relations with the US.

Yo Dr Hadi Soesastro, bl*w me.

[LocalYokel]

Ha!

Reality bites.

Did I say: Ha!?

[AmericaUnited]

I feel like singing... Finally men with balls are running the show.

[Frances_Marion]

Nuts to Indonesia.

Poland, Spain, Bulgaria, etc, all these countries should be rewarded for their moral and logistical support.

[mtbopfuyn]

Ah, this is a good day. Let's just hope we don't soon forget who our friends are and are not.

[Rob45and2]

Succinct and to the point.. I like that...

[texastoo]

Yeah, right!

Are we going to tell the same thing to Mexico????
I don't think so as that would mean Dubya would miss some votes. Therefore, we have to pander to Mexico and pay for free education, free health care, free food stamps while they slap us in the face. Mexico will be the only country we don't punish.

So, where are the balls? And what are you singing, La Cucuracha?

[MissAmericanPie]

This is a great policy, maybe it will be extended to cities here in the USofA. Nothing like getting the silent majority awake than cutting off their well water. Are ya listen-in Houston?

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[George W. Bush]

Referring to post-war changes in US policy towards Asia, Dr Bergsten said Washington is likely to differentiate between those who supported the coalition and those who did not.

He mentioned the free-trade agreements that countries like Singapore and Chile are seeking with the US.

'Singapore, a member of the coalition, will see its free-trade agreement proceed on schedule,' said Dr Bergsten. 'Chile, which did not cooperate, will not.' ... Mr Zoellick, in his speech at the council, lauded the upcoming US-Singapore FTA, which he described as 'a cutting-edge agreement' that could serve as a template for agreements with other Asean members. The pact 'will be signed by the President and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on May 6. I just spoke to the President about that yesterday,' he said.

Singapore rewarded.

Other countries in South-east Asia who are seeking similar trade benefits are likely to find their applications assessed according to how strongly they back US security measures - not only in Iraq, but in the global war against terrorism.

For example, there is talk in Washington that Thailand's lukewarm support for the US-led war in Iraq will hold up its FTA aspirations.

Naturally, many are unhappy about this. Dr Hadi Soesastro, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, said in Washington that everyone in Indonesia was against the Iraq war, but in a very measured and subdued way. So his country's anti-war stance should not be used against it in its trade relations with the US.

Chile, Indonesia and Thailand punished.

This is actually a very big story about exactly how we are starting to reward and punish all those countries who supported us or who harmed us since the beginning of the Iraq affair.

I look for France and Germany and Russia to get much bigger slaps.

Another interesting thing is that the establishment of this new council will link trade and reliable military alliance for the upcoming showdown with North Korea and build the support for the defense of Taiwan when China finally makes an attempt to invade (probably five years out).

You have to admire the boldness of Team Bush, takin' names and kickin' butt globally. This new council looks to finally make ASEAN become an effective reality. And regional leadership can be held by Japan, just as it should be. But with us as the superpower in military partnership and being the overwhelming nuclear guarantor against North Korea/China.

Like I said, this article really deserved much more attention than it received here at FR. Asia has always been our most important security/trade area. I'd certainly like to read more articles on this new council and the ASEAN pact.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this good news!

[skeeter]

Imagine that - a policy of rewarding friends & punishing enemies.

The gnashing sound you hear is x42 and x39's teeth.

[Grampa Dave]

Now the countries who backed Soddomite and his thugs will find out what it means to be against us.

Our allies will be rewarded, and the those in line behind the Frogs will get $crewed economically!

[Willie Green]

The only victims of Zoellick's global trade policies are American industries.
This stooge needs to be given the old heave-ho.

"We are infinitely better off without treaties of commerce with any nation."

--Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1815.

[Howlin]

What a novel approach!

[chs68]

"Poland, Spain, Bulgaria, etc, all these countries should be rewarded for their moral and logistical support."

And let's not forget Romania as well.

There is an article by Sen. George Allen (for whom I proudly cast my ballot in the last Senatorial election in the Commonwealth of Virgina) in today's Washington Times which shows just how important Romania's stalwart support -- by letting us use airfields and the port of Constanza as part of the effort by nations who despise both terrorism and tyranny to liberate the Iraqi people from the murderous reign of Saddam Hussein and to make the worl a little safer from terrorists who are financed by tyrants.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for reminding us of Romania. We are too prone to forget about our Eastern Europe allies!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Right on Mr President!

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[AmericanInTokyo]

To some extent this is how the game is played I suppose, particularly vis-a-vis the successful prosecution of the war in Iraq. I am aware of these larger machiavellian realities.

But I for one DO NOT support removing trade bilateralism as a fundamental component of the US-Japan trade relationship, which must be based on 'reciprocity' and elimination of barriers (particularly NTBs).

Japan can be 'rewarded' for supporting the USA on various geopolitical initiatives, granted. But the MOMENT they step out of line with specific predatory trade practices in violation of the letter and the spirit of the US-Japan Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, to purposely keep out American industry or services and foster protectionism at home (as I have well documented and addressed over the years here on FR), then I and many others say they should be punished with reciprocal trade acts by the United States.