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New Indo-Pacific initiative shows appetite for US engagement but challenges ahead
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The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) virtual launch event in Tokyo, Japan, on May 23, 2022.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - That 12 countries signed up for the United States' Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) from Day One is a sign of the region's appetite for America's economic engagement.
Yet that enthusiasm was also noticeably tempered with a hefty dose of caution, particularly from South-east Asia, against alienating China - the region's economic powerhouse and the US' chief rival.
