Research On U.S. FTA Strategy

On the strategic background of the multilateral trading system running into thedeveloping predicament, the regional economic integration developing rapidly, and theglobal economic pattern changing gradually, the global dominance of U.S. is affected andchallenged. The weaker position and being marginalized in Asian-Pacific region makeU.S. promote regional economic integration and launch a new wave of FTA all over theworld. TPP and TTIP are typical representatives, which are flaunted as comprehensive,high-level and 'facing to21st century'. With the help of this new high-level FTA, U.S.intends to build a new platform to fulfill political and economic aspirations.As the promoter of the new FTA, U.S. has given more meanings of politics,economics, diplomacy to FTA, which presents new changes and features. The negotiatingissues reflect the new features of high-level, high standard, and to the depth of integration.The negotiating partners cover the global major developed and emerging countries, andsuch a large scale is unprecedented. The negotiating goal is to establish new rules in theglobal trading system and strengthen its leadership in the world. Thus, the FTA is nolonger simple foreign trade policy, but the important platform for U.S. to acquire itsnational interests and fulfill its global strategy. Therefore, with the advance of U.S. FTAstrategy, it will greatly affect China and the whole world in the future. Under thisbackground, this paper will introduce U.S. FTA strategy comprehensively, dissect itsstrategic aspirations, and have an insight into its strategic thinking and logic. Therefore,the study will provide important theoretical value and practical guidance for China tocarry out the FTA strategy in the future.In order to analyze U.S. FTA strategy comprehensively, from the perspective ofnational strategy, the paper firstly studies the political and economic association betweenU.S. FTA strategy and its national strategic aspirations by using political economyanalysis paradigm. Based on this, the paper further sorts and analyzes the strategic layoutand the strategic aspirations of U.S. FTA strategy in the whole world. Then by usingempirical analysis and test, the paper makes a performance evaluation of the economicand non-economic effects that U.S. FTA strategy has generated, and distinguishes thedifferent effects that different partner countries have made on U.S.. In addition, Considering of the important strategic position of U.S. in the whole world, the paperanalyzes the influence of U.S. FTA strategy and forecasts its development in the future.Finally, based on the analysis above, it will conclude some strategic enlightenments toChina FTA strategy, and put forward General Programme and implementation path forChina FTA strategy. Specifically, the main contents and conclusions of this paper are asfollows:Firstly, U.S. FTA strategy has gone beyond purely economic category, and it hasbeen endued with more strategic aspirations in the fields of politics, security, diplomacy,etc. It also highly embodies the national interests. The FTA has become an important wayand platform for U.S. to fulfill its national strategic aspirations.Secondly, according to the national strategic aspirations of U.S. FTA strategy in thewhole world, the paper will divide all the U.S. FTAs into five major regions, and thenprobe into its strategic thinking and national strategic aspirations by reviewing andanalyzing all those FTAs in the five regions.Thirdly, the paper makes a performance evaluation of the economic andnon-economic effects that U.S. FTA strategy has generated by using empirical analysisand test. At first, it uses the detailed data of U.S. and its FTA partners to analyze thetraditional trade effects and investment effects; and then, the paper comprehensivelyanalyze the non-economic effects of U.S. FTA strategy from four aspects of politicalthinking, top-level rule, national security and energy strategy. In this way, the papercarries out comprehensive analysis of both economic and non-economic effects of U.S.FTA strategy.Fourthly, the paper analyzes the influence of U.S. FTA strategy and forecasts itsdevelopment in the future. On the basis of the study, it gives an analysis of the effect thatU.S. FTA strategy will make on the global economy, the global pattern, the global tradingsystem and developing countries, etc. Considering the subtle relationships between Chinaand U.S., the paper separately analyzes the effect that U.S. FTA strategy will make onChina. In addition, in order to have a deeper understanding of its development in thefuture, the paper also forecasts future trend and the difficulties of U.S. FTA strategy.At last, the paper analyzes the current situation and future strategic programme ofChina FTA strategy. The purpose of studying U.S. FTA strategy is to provide strategic beneficial enlightenments and suggestions for China. Thus, based on the currentdevelopment of China FTAs, and the experience and enlightenments of U.S. FTA strategy,the paper puts forward General Programme and implementation path for China FTAstrategy.