Self-awareness often eludes US officials who push American interests on Asia. John Kerry's visit to Vietnam was a case in point, as the Secretary of State implored the government to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In his pitch earlier this week, Kerry said the US-led trade deal would bring ''transparency'' and ''accountability'' to the communist nation, helping it become a more open society that supports free expression. An odd thought, considering the Big Brother-like secrecy enshrouding the treaty on the US side.

The pro-TPP argument goes as follows: This is the moment Asia's reformers have been waiting for. It is a chance for Japan to take on vested interests, Malaysia to kill growth-stifling affirmative-action policies, Vietnam to rein in bloated state-owned enterprises and Singapore to spur innovation. Think of TPP as an economic Trojan horse - a means of shaking up stagnant political systems by stealth.

Yet the dearth of details about the treaty is exactly why Asia should opt out of the most ambitious free-trade deal in US history.

American lawmakers and civil liberties groups have complained for some time about the opacity surrounding the treaty's terms. Mild grousing turned into outrage last month after WikiLeaks did what Barack Obama's White House refuses to: share portions of the document with the public. The draft of the intellectual property rights chapter by Julian Assange's outfit validated the worst fears - that TPP is a corporatist power grab.