ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the emergence of geoeconomics as the new geopolitics in an international system increasingly shaped by a seemingly irresistible yet also consequential shift in the distribution of global wealth and power. Considering the possibility of America's rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region––both economically and militarily––being indicative of 'reactive regionalism', it provides a general overview of the dynamics of East Asian regionalism, and offers an assessment of the changing nature of American power and influence within the region. Focused on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the chapter discusses the degree and extent to which this proposal is not merely aimed at strengthening the rules of international trade. Specifically, it considers the prospects of the TPP being an integral part of a deliberate US strategy designed to lay the foundation for a new institutional balancing dynamic in the Asia-Pacific region to effectively counter and constrain China's expanding clout.
