US Offers Asia 'Poison Pills' for 'Free and Open' Trade
The US is embedding 'poison pills' into Asian trade pacts, according to the Financial Times, to explicitly counter China's economic influence. These clauses, like those requiring signatories to avoid 'non-market economy' partners, are designed to isolate Beijing. It’s a curious definition of 'free trade' that actively dictates who sovereign nations can—or cannot—trade with. One might call it
coercive diplomacy, dressed up as economic cooperation. This isn't about fostering genuine economic liberty; it's about shifting geopolitical power. It’s the same playbook used for decades to box out rivals, cloaked in rhetoric of 'rules-based order' that the US, apparently, gets to write and enforce. The 'free market' is only 'free' when it benefits American strategic interests, naturally.