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China critical of TPP

A businessman who specializes in foreign investments says China continues to criticize the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) while working on an alternative deal.

Brian Chang, president and founder of Pacific Investment Partners, tells Brownfield the anti-TPP rhetoric is prominent in China.

“If you look at the Chinese media, which is definitely controlled by the government, they don’t like it because they wer4e not included (and) wanted to be included.”

Instead, China has been working on their own massive Asia-Pacific trade deal excluding the United States, called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Chang says the TPP has a better chance of success.

“Everybody knows with China, it’s pure politics.  U.S., we have some politics, but (the TPP) is really economics-driven if you ask me.”

Many U.S. commodity groups are calling on Congress to pass TPP during the lame duck session, and President Obama recently took administrative action to introduce the legislation following the election.

Brownfield spoke to Chang at a town hall meeting on China Tuesday evening at Minnesota State University in Mankato.