In spite of the White House's continuous insistence on there being "a strong case to make with regard to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement", chances are it will not get approved in the remainder of US President Barack Obama's term.

However, it might be too early to announce the demise of the TPP. Despite US President-elect Donald Trump's repeated pledge to scrap it on the campaign trail, who knows what he will do when he enters office.

Of course, Beijing is understandably relieved that the exclusive, economically inefficient, politically antagonizing TPP is looking ever less likely to materialize by the day. After all, the trade grouping has been essentially driven by the US' strategic considerations and meant to counter China's economic influence in the Asia-Pacific.