But Robert Zoellick, former US deputy secretary of state, holds a different view. He says all TPP members will benefit from China's growth, and actions to isolate China will inevitably fail.

The problem is that the part of Washington's strategy that US-EU trade pacts and the TPP reveal may appear competitive, even harmless, when its overall strategy is to "divide and conquer", as described in Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

During the past Doha Round of trade talks, the US played a key role in either making concessions or taking the final decision. But the Doha Round of talks now seem to have hit a dead end as more countries - such as China, India, Brazil the ROK and South Africa - hold the bargaining chips.

In the TPP negotiations, however, the US is confident of achieving its objectives with the main negotiators being Japan and Canada. Negotiations with EU member states, too, seem promising for the US. Following these talks, the US will presumably start separate negotiations with China and invite it to join the TPP.

It is also possible that the US will invite India to the TPP fold and Russia to be part of the TTIP, and take measures to strengthen free trade agreements in the Americas in order to achieve its goals one by one. But the US strategy, be it led by Clinton or Kerry, should not be over-interpreted, because globalization is such an irreversible trend that no country can go against it.

Globalization will ultimately lead to a phase of "super-sovereign" era when major powers will come together to solve regional and international problems for the benefit of all concerned and help establish a global order of equality and fairness.

The author is a researcher at Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

(China Daily 05/27/2013 page9)