Balancing ties with two superpowers

At a special Cabinet meeting on Monday, before Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra departed to the United Kingdom, a lot of decisions were made that could be deemed to favour the United States amid preparations for an official visit by President Barack Obama on Sunday and Monday.

Cabinet endorsed the content of joint statements Yingluck will make with Obama during the visit on two matters. They will express readiness to join talks for the Washington-initiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a regional free-trade scheme, and to re-activate meetings of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Joint Council (TIFA JC), a bilateral free-trade set-up.

Free-trade initiatives with the US have been sensitive, and there have been longstanding protests by local civil groups. Negotiations on a free-trade agreement with the US failed years ago due to strong opposition over various items proposed for inclusion in the pact.

Shortly after Monday’s Cabinet meeting, civic groups under the umbrella of FTA Watch raised concern about the government’s position on the free-trade initiative with the US. They say the US proposed free-trade agreement, according to their studies, could harm local bio-diversity and limit access to patented drugs. 

The TPP, which the US is negotiating with eight countries, currently requires partners to patent bio-varieties for American benefit, according to Chakchai Chomthongdee of FTA Watch. “US patented drugs are very expensive – beyond what local patients can afford,” he said.

Strategically, Chakchai said, the US would use TPP to expand trade and political influence over Asian countries against China.

President Obama said during his re-election campaign that the TPP was “creating a trade bloc with other Asian countries to put pressure on China to play by our rules”.

On the security front, which also has strategic implications for the region, the Cabinet agreed to join a Washington-sponsored Proliferation Security Initiative – (PSI) to cope with weapon of mass destruction.

The Defence Ministry also did it part with a 2012 Joint Vision Statement for the Thai-US Defence Alliance when Defence Secretary Leon Panetta arrives here on tomorrow. The Cabinet endorsed this, as proposed by the ministry.

The vision statement reaffirms the strategic military alliance between Thailand and the US for security and stability in Southeast Asia. Of course, it’s no secret that Thailand and the US are long-time allies. And it’s hardly strange for this country to have economic, political and military cooperation.

Unfortunately, the US is not the sole superpower in the world anymore. Giant neighbour China is emerging as a new powerhouse in the region, perhaps in coming years. The 21st century belongs to China. No country on earth could turn its back to China.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit Thailand on Tuesday and Wednesday next week to reaffirm Beijing’s strategic interest in the country and the region.

Unlike the US, Beijing loves to show its “soft power”. Premier Wen will highlight economic, social and cultural cooperation with Thailand, rather than political and military presence.

As the host country, Thailand should be well aware of the fact that Washington and Beijing are looking at and competing with each other in all sectors. China is really worried about the US’s “return” to the Asia Pacific.

But it’s not easy for a country like Thailand having to fine tune and balance relations with two superpowers. An easy way to handle this situation is to give equal treatment to both of them.

And that’s exactly what Premier Wen, although set to step down early next year, will expect – ie. nothing less than what Obama gets when he is in Bangkok.