President Trump is right to reconsider rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Not only will the liberalized trade boost the economy, but more importantly, it would tie Asian nations more intimately to the U.S. and drag them out of the magnetic pull exerted by China.

This is how Trump needs to see international relations in general. Building alliances and trade compacts does not per se subordinate America’s concerns to those of foreigners. Done well, it advances our national interests by making it wiser for foreign countries to side with us and not with our rivals.