Trump's withdrawal from TPP creates vacuum that China is keen to fill

Washington

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump's withdrawal from a long-planned Pacific trade pact creates a political and economic vacuum that China is eager to fill, potentially damaging American prestige in Asia.

With President Trump making good on his campaign pledge to nix a deal that was the centrepiece of predecessor Barack Obama's Asia policy, China's leaders are already ramping up support for globalisation and free trade.

In a speech last week to the World Economic Forum at Davos, President Xi Jinping likened protectionism to "locking oneself in a dark room".

President Trump opposed the pact because he said it could hurt American jobs. But the impact of his decision is likely to go beyond trade, giving more leeway to Mr Xi to position China as an economic and military anchor in the Western Pacific. Since coming to power, Mr Xi has sought to expand China's trade ties with …