WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will host a virtual meeting on Tuesday of officials representing the 14 countries that have signed the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), as Washington tries to expand its commitment. to Asia.
Their office announced in a statement Sunday that the ministerial meeting will be hosted by US Trade Representative Catherine Taye and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
President Joe Biden, who launched the IPEF in May on a trip to Tokyo, wants to use it as a way to raise environmental, labor and other standards across Asia.
Washington has lacked an economic anchor for its involvement in the Indo-Pacific since former President Donald Trump withdrew from a multinational trans-Pacific trade deal, leaving the field wide open for China to expand its influence.
In addition to the United States, IPEF members include Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The statement said the topics to be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting include trade, supply chains, clean energy, infrastructure, taxation and anti-corruption.
(Reporting by Eric Beach; Editing in Spanish by Ricardo Figueroa)
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