IPEF's Strategic Highgrounds: New Dawn of an International Trade Era and Implications to U.S. Leadership Choices A. Leading complex transition with key strategic partners in the global trade system: • Tangible Benefits are the prerequisite, notably as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) intends to lead with greater purpose at complex transition. Combination of trade, finance and development is therefore critical but actual pull forces will come together once resonating structural ecosystem impact, in order to fully benefit from this partnership framework, especially with strategic focus on reciprocal ecosystem value from backward integration (such as, with significant growth economies in the example of India, Indonesia and Vietnam) to the international trade system that in turn resonates with diplomatic sense; B. Substantiating multilateral leadership with the integrity of supply-side economics: • Supply Resilience further command substantive global-governance purpose anchored by the framework, particularly in coupling with broader macrofiscal and financial policy framework at today’s crisis. In contrast to traditional trade agreements with focus on tariffs (demand), IPEF may choose to differentiate by integrating trade to strategic investment framework (supply), especially in the narrative of reciprocal benefit from the supply-side economics, from food and energy to technology and infrastructure that will all play key constructive roles at the ongoing global economic transition (as illustrated in the example of Boeing 787 Dreamliner with key global supplies from investment partners); C. Setting global precedent upon key reciprocal motion toward the new economy: • New Economy is indeed the most important agenda at the table that requires leadership from the highest level, especially at the auspices of IPEF. More of the same shall no longer suffice, but it's rather the gravity of inclusive growth, primarily on the premise of smart (digital transformation/AI) but also net-zero (green energy, mobility and industry) transition that will together resonate the agenda toward 2050 horizon, considering in particular power of the institution (such as G20 Quality Infrastructure Investment) at complex market and policy crossroads (see leadership precedent of the ISSB at COP26 toward stronger transparency and accountability impact from the ongoing net-zero transition).

1. Bangkok, Thailand / Page 1 (2) Edition: May 23, 2022
IPEF's Strategic Highgrounds
New Dawn of an International Trade Era and Implications to
U.S. Leadership Choices
Siripong Treetasanatavorn
Sloan Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Leadership Narrative:
A. Leading complex transition with key strategic partners in the global trade system:
• Tangible Benefits are the prerequisite, notably as the Indo-Pacific Economic
Framework (IPEF) intends to lead with greater purpose at complex transition.
Combination of trade, finance and development is therefore critical but actual
pull forces will come together once resonating structural ecosystem impact, in
order to fully benefit from this partnership framework, especially with strategic
focus on reciprocal ecosystem value from backward integration (such as, with
significant growth economies in the example of India, Indonesia and Vietnam)
to the international trade system that in turn resonates with diplomatic sense;1
B. Substantiating multilateral leadership with the integrity of supply-side economics:
• Supply Resilience further command substantive global-governance purpose
anchored by the framework, particularly in coupling with broader macrofiscal
and financial policy framework at today’s crisis. In contrast to traditional trade
agreements with focus on tariffs (demand), IPEF may choose to differentiate
by integrating trade to strategic investment framework (supply), especially in
the narrative of reciprocal benefit from the supply-side economics, from food
and energy to technology and infrastructure that will all play key constructive
roles at the ongoing global economic transition (as illustrated in the example
of Boeing 787 Dreamliner with key global supplies from investment partners2
);
C. Setting global precedent upon key reciprocal motion toward the new economy:
• New Economy is indeed the most important agenda at the table that requires
leadership from the highest level, especially at the auspices of IPEF. More of
the same shall no longer suffice, but it's rather the gravity of inclusive growth,
primarily on the premise of smart (digital transformation/AI) but also net-zero
(green energy, mobility and industry) transition that will together resonate the
agenda toward 2050 horizon, considering in particular power of the institution
(such as G20 Quality Infrastructure Investment) at complex market and policy
crossroads (see leadership precedent of the ISSB at COP26 toward stronger
transparency and accountability impact from the ongoing net-zero transition3
).

2. S. Treetasanatavorn. IPEF's Strategic Highgrounds
Edition: May 23, 2022 Bangkok, Thailand / Page 2 (2)
Example of Boeing 787 Dreamliner with key global supplies
from strategic investment partners across the globe2
References (in appearance order):
1. See factsheet of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy (2022):
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/02/11/fact-sheet-
indo-pacific-strategy-of-the-united-states/; but also background discussion regarding
corresponding strategic direction of the aforementioned framework at CSIS (2022):
https://www.csis.org/analysis/filling-indo-pacific-economic-framework
2. See discussion (and source of the image above) from Koster, Uhmeyer and Soin
(2013) Designing a Blended Wing Body Aircraft Globally from CDIO Conference MIT
and Harvard, Cambridge, MA:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263045210_Designing_a_Blended_Wing_B
ody_Aircraft_Globally
3. See latest annual report of the G20 Quality Infrastructure Investment Framework from
the World Bank (2021) at https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-
reports/documentdetail/132321643990931297/quality-infrastructure-investment-
partnership-2021-qii-annual-report; but also UK leadership for the International
Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) at COP26 (2021): https://ukcop26.org/uk-
welcomes-work-to-develop-global-sustainability-reporting-standards-alongside-40-
international-partners/