PETALING JAYA: The United States remains committed to the Asia Pacific region, says US Ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Paul W Jones.
Jones said the US has turned its attention to the Asia Pacific region, which is a critical driver to the global economy.
“The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a pathway towards broader regional economic integration in the Asia Pacific region,” he said at a seminar on ‘President Obama’s Re-election: What It Means to the Economy and Business in 2013 and Beyond’ organised by the Performance Management and Transformation Leadership Centre.
Jones said according to an international economic think tank, Malaysia and Vietnam are likely to benefit the most from the TPP.
“It was predicted that Malaysia’s exports earnings will grow by US$31 billion annually from successful TPP negotiations.
“We are looking forward to concluding the TPP negotiations in the course of this year,” he said
The TPP is a free trade initiative involving 11 countries — Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and the US.
The 16th round of the TPP negotiations is ongoing in Singapore from March 4 to 13.
Jones said the US will continue to be the leading foreign investor in Malaysia, with trade and investment the traditional areas of collaboration between the US and Malaysia.
“We would like to grow our cooperation in science and technology,” he said.
Education, particularly in the teaching of English, is one area in which the US and Malaysia have forged a close relationship, Jones said.
Some 75 American fresh graduates are engaged as English Teaching Assistants in four states in Malaysia, he said, adding there are plans to increase that number in the near future. — Bernama