THE US AND ASIA

OBAMA AND CLINTON IN ASIA

Beth Day Romulo

The Manila Bulletin, November 17, 2010

To reassure Asian countries that, despite its national problems of recession and unemployment, America intends to remain a strong presence in this part of the world, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently set out on Asian tours. The President took India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea, major allies and trading partners. And Secretary Clinton, on her sixth Asian junket as Secretary of State, covered seven countries – Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia, and Samoa.

The goals were relatively simple: To strengthen America’s leadership in the Asia-Pacific region, improve regional security, boost prosperity, and promote such universal values as human rights.

Secretary Clinton started out in Hawaii, the birthplace of President Obama and “America’s bridge to the East.” She called her mission “forward-deployed” diplomacy, a proactive program of the State Department which involves “the full range of our diplomatic assets” – the highest-ranking officials and development experts mandated to reach every capital of the Asia Pacific region.

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