Abstract

The US has tabled "competitive neutrality" to the agenda of TPP negotiations on international investment, claiming that State-owned enterprises (SOEs) should not enjoy net competitive advantages over their private sector competitors simply by virtue of public sector ownership. In the wake of the global economic crisis in 2008, competitive neutrality may gain support from both developed and developing states, since they both, to various extent, agree that a reform to the governance of State-owned enterprises is urgent. To date, the attitudes of TPP negotiating parties towards ...