Obama: China 'putting out feelers' on trade pact

While some analysts see a proposed U.S.-Asia trade deal as an economic counter to China, President Obama says the Chinese may be interested in signing up.

"They've already started putting out feelers about the possibilities of them participating at some point," Obama said in an interview Wednesday with American Public Media's "Marketplace" radio show.

In the meantime, Obama is trying to sell fellow Democrats on the Trans-Pacific Partnership that includes Asian nations.

The administration is asking the U.S. House for fast track authority, allowing it to put together a final deal and present it to lawmakers for an up-or-down vote with no amendments.

Some Democrats oppose free trade deals, saying they ship U.S. jobs overseas.

From the Associated Press:

"Obama often has promoted the Trans-Pacific deal as a way for the U.S. to gain influence in Asian markets and to keep China 'from writing the rules of the road.' If China were to join at some point, it would have to agree with the agreement's standards.

"Even without China, Obama argued that if other leading economies in the Asia-Pacific region agree to enforceable labor and environmental standards, intellectual property protections and reduced tariffs, 'then China is going to have to at least take those international norms into account.'"