Washington's ambitious move to build a free-trade bloc in the Asia-Pacific region without China's participation has raised Chinese suspicion over what geopolitical objectives the US has in mind to contain the fast-rising power, aside from economic reasons for the bloc.
Analysts say the move also highlights the growing importance of co-operation between the US and China in the region, as well as the growing competition for influence there.
On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit over the weekend, US President Barack Obama said he was optimistic a trade pact dubbed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could draft a legal framework by next year among nine regional nations.
The nine are the US, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Chile and Peru. Japan on Friday announced its interest in joining the negotiations.
'The absence of the world's second-largest economy and largest exporter in the TPP talks reflects Washington's objective to dominate the region, which is key to US strategy to maintain its global leadership,' said Lu Hongjun, president of the Shanghai-based Institute of International Finance.
'Just as its confirmed leadership of the Atlantic bloc in the last century meant its domination of global affairs, Washington sees its dominating role in the pan-Pacific region is also crucial to the continuation of its global leadership in this century,' Lu said, adding that the PTT was part of that strategy.