How far should geopolitical calculation drive trade agreements? It’s the question raised in whom to support and whom to stall for admission to the 12 nation, adjective laden Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. And it’s the type of dilemma that will be increasingly familiar in the years ahead. The era of global multilateralism is sadly over. What has not disappeared is the reality that we still face challenges which require collective action such as nuclear non-proliferation, climate change, and pandemics. We cannot wish them away or shrug our shoulders and say nothing can be done. Australia has a proud history of multilateral activism, and the re-elected Albanese government needs to ask itself: how can we patch up multilateralism as we head into a world of sharper bipolar competition? A good start would be to understand the changed terrain.
The CPTPP dilemma: Economic merit versus geopolitical calculation | Lowy Institute
