Earlier this week, for example, Japan’s trade minister expressed disappointment in last
month’s trade meetings, saying “every TPP country wondered why the U.S. was quick to give
up the conclusion without its usual relentless persistence.” If the U.S. allows negotiations to
collapse, it would demonstrate the Obama administration’s declaration – that the U.S. is “all
in, when it comes to the AsiaPacific” – to be hollow. This has important geopolitical
implications. If Asia’s great powers perceive the U.S. to be unserious about its role in the
region, this will increase the incentive for the powerful regional states (i.e. China and Japan)
to jockey with one another for regional hegemony.