Clinton pivots from Obama's Asia policy with TPP opposition

The TPP has been the main economic plank of President Barack Obama's seven-year effort to intensify engagement with a fast-growing region and counter China's rising clout with nations that count it as their principal trading partner.

[...] as the front-running Democratic presidential candidate, she has opposed the deal signed in February because of its potential impact on U.S. workers — organized labor being a core constituency of the Democrat Party.

Frank Jannuzi, who was on the Obama administration's transition team for Asia policy in 2008 but is not advising any current presidential candidates, said he expected whoever wins the presidency, Democrat or Republican, to ditch their opposition to the trade deal within the first two years of gaining office.

Should the Obama administration succeed in getting the agreement ratified by Congress in the "lame duck" session after the November presidential election, and if Clinton is elected to succeed Obama, it would ease the key political dilemma on policy toward a region that has seen significant shifts since she left office as secretary of state three years ago.

Beijing has not only disregarded U.S. calls for a time-out on construction on disputed islands but has conducted massive land reclamation and built airstrips from which Chinese forces could operate in sea lanes crucial for world trade.