US President Barack Obama and top leaders within the European Union (EU) will sit down next month to negotiate the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which could lead to the creation of the world's largest free trade agreement in history.

An integrated market between the US and the EU will further elevate the influence of these two already-formidable entities on world trade. Not wanting to be left out, Canada, Mexico and Australia would also likely want to come aboard. Such a large consolidated trading bloc would inevitably place China and its emerging neighbors at a disadvantage.

One of China's biggest challenges right now is the fact that there is still no unified Pan-Asian free trade zone. What's more, China is also not taking an active role in any of the region's ongoing trade negotiations. Top officials need to make sure that China is not isolated by protectionism.

The author is Zhang Liwei, a commentator.