Hopefully death knell for TPP signals US is about to change tack

US President-elect Donald Trump, his opponent in the election Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and many Chinese have at least one thing in common. None of them is fond of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement; although for very different reasons.

Clinton, when as US secretary of state, called the deal agreed among 12 Asia-Pacific countries the "gold standard" for trade agreements, but she opposed it while campaigning in order to win more union voters.

Trump has been more consistent. He has repeatedly called the TPP "a potential disaster for our country", and he announced on Monday the first thing his administration will do is to withdraw from the agreement.