Asia-Pacific free trade pacts have been a big success for the U.S.

Bilahari Kausikan is former permanent secretary and ambassador-at-large in the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Steven Okun is chief executive of ESG and sustainability consultancy APAC Advisors and a senior adviser with geostrategic consultancy McLarty Associates. He previously served as chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has been creating new structures and frameworks to help ensure that Washington remains indispensable in a part of the world where China enjoys inherent advantages.