The United States began a series of meetings with ministers from the Asia-Pacific in Los Angeles on Thursday at an economic summit aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the region. The two-day event is the first face-to-face meeting between members of the new Indo-Pacific Economic Prosperity Framework (IPEF), an initiative launched in May by US President Joe Biden. With this new trade partnership, the Biden administration hopes to reinforce its presence in a region that felt cold-shouldered under former president Donald Trump. Trump’s isolationist “America First” policy saw him yank the United States from the Asia-focused trade agreement called...