A 2015 video of former President Barack Obama is making waves online — and its message about China’s rising influence is more relevant than ever.
In the clip, Obama warns that if the United States doesn’t take the lead in shaping global trade rules, China will — and on its own terms.
“If we don’t write the rules, China will,” Obama says in the now-viral video. “And they’ll write those rules in a way that gives Chinese workers and Chinese businesses the upper hand.”
Obama made the comments while promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed trade deal aimed at strengthening U.S. influence in the Asia-Pacific region. He argued that global leadership isn’t optional — it’s essential.
“Leadership means setting the rules of the road, not sitting on the sidelines while others do it for us,” he said.
He emphasized that U.S. leadership in international trade would help uphold values like:
- Fair labor standards
- Environmental protections
- Enforcement of intellectual property rights
Without American involvement, he cautioned, global trade could evolve under rules that ignore democratic principles and favor authoritarian regimes.
Obama’s remarks reflect a broader foreign policy vision rooted in engagement over isolation — one where the U.S. protects its own interests by actively shaping a global order based on fairness, openness, and shared prosperity.
Nearly a decade later, the message is striking a new chord as U.S.–China tensions continue to rise and debates over America’s role on the world stage intensify.
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