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Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership
Description
The 2005 Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement is a free trade agreement among Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. It aims to further liberalise the economies of the Asia-Pacific region.
Since 2010, negotiations have been taking place for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposal for a significantly expanded version of TPSEP. The TPP is a proposed free trade agreement under negotiation by Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. Japan has expressed its desire to become a negotiating partner, but not yet joined negotiations as the TPP became a major issue in Japan's 2012 election. South Korea was asked by the US to consider joining the TPP but declined for the time being.
The TPP is ostensibly intended to be a "high-standard" agreement specifically aimed at emerging trade issues in the 21st century. These ongoing negotiations have drawn criticism and protest from the public, advocacy groups, and elected officials, in part due to the secrecy of the negotiations, the expansive scope of the agreement, and a number of controversial clauses in drafts leaked to the public.
(via Freebase)
Nine nations are negotiating a trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership. One country is noticeably absent: China. Robert Kapp explains why China isn't getting involved right now (footage courtesy of Reuters).