US pressure keeps China trade pact off the table at APEC

The US has continued to block the start of negotiations for a China-backed free trade agreement in the lead up to the upcoming APEC forum meeting in Beijing, The Wall Street Journal reported. APEC has long been discussing the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), but has yet to begin formal negotiations on such a deal. China, concerned with losing out on regional trade as the US draws nearer to completing its Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which spans much of Asia but excludes China, is looking for an alternative option. Meanwhile, the US fears that beginning negotiations on a new trade deal now will hinder the completion of the TPP.