The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is moving into its final three months in office and the trajectory of one of its signature foreign policy initiatives — the U.S. "rebalance" to the Asia-Pacific — remains unclear.

Washington's inability thus far to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal — a 12-country deal that encompasses nearly 40 percent of the world's gross domestic product — has its friends and partners in the region concerned about its long-term commitment to the Pacific.

In August, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong bluntly referenced this unease during his trip to Washington: "For America's friends and partners, ratifying the TPP is a litmus test of your credibility and seriousness of purpose [in the Asia-Pacific]." 

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