The United States will hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday of officials representing the 14 countries that have joined the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework as Washington seeks to expand its engagement in Asia.The ministerial meeting will be hosted by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, their offices said in a statement on Sunday. President Joe Biden, who launched IPEF on a trip to Tokyo in May, wants to use it as a way to raise environmental, labor and other standards across Asia.
Washington has lacked an economic pillar for its Indo-Pacific engagement since former President Donald Trump withdrew from the multinational Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement. In addition to the United States, IPEF members include Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.Topics to be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting include trade, supply chains, clean energy, infrastructure, taxes and the fight against corruption, the statement said.
