Pence’s blunt talk

Asian nations must be wary of Chinese chicanery

The main point of a trade summit is not just to issue a joint statement, but to actually work out trade disputes between independent and sovereign countries.

That’s why the no-nonsense speech given by Vice President Mike Pence at the Asian trade summit in Papua New Guinea last week was good for the United States.

It was the first time since the 21-member APEC was founded in 1993 that no joint statement was issued.

Mr. Pence didn’t mince words in his effort to communicate to Asian countries and outline the choice they face.

He criticized China’s global infrastructure drive, known as the “Belt and Road Initiative,” which China is trying to push on its neighbors. According to Mr. Pence, the initiative projects are low-quality, and nations that accept the deal will find themselves in a “sea of debt” and their independence from China compromised. Mr. Pence spoke candidly and even somewhat aggressively — as he was obviously empowered by President Donald Trump to do. He would say, and Mr. Trump would say, that China has become more aggressive regionally, competing for loyalty with longtime American allies.

Mr. Pence also accused China of engaging in theft of American intellectual property and creating barriers to foreign companies entering its market.

The draft communique included the words, “We agreed to fight protectionism including all unfair trading practices.”

China objected, seeing the wording as singling it out. Thus, no joint statement.

The Trump administration is right to be sending an assertive signal to the Indo-Pacific trade area, which constitutes two-thirds of all global trade, that it will stand for transparent and open global trade.