Beyond his childhood ties to Hawai'i and Indonesia and his
self-styled designation as "America's first Pacific President,"
President Barack Obama has demonstrated significant and genuine interest in
Asia and in developing trans-Pacific ties. He embarked on November 5 for the
second presidential visit to Asia during his term, and while there he will
visit India, Indonesia, South Korea to attend the summit of the Group of 20
(G20), and finally to Japan to attend the annual heads of state meeting of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton will travel a week ahead of Obama to attend the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering and the East Asia Summit (EAS) in
Vietnam, followed by visits to Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and
Australia. Her trip will include an added-in stop to China's Hainan Island. To
address major issues surrounding the President's trip to Asia--including the
"China question" and historic U.S. bilateral alliances--four scholars
from the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC)
gathered for a public panel discussion on October 27.
Thomas Fingar, Oksenberg/Rohlen Distinguished Fellow of the
Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, spoke about the
symbolic aspects of Obama's visit, noting the importance of a presidential
visit for showing a sense of real commitment to the region and an
acknowledgement of the "rise" of countries like China and India. On a
more pragmatic side, he also suggested that meeting in person with other
leaders is crucial in order to "bring about deliverables." The
omission of a visit to China should not be weighed too heavily, Fingar said,
pointing out that the President visited China last year. The stops in Japan and South Korea are tied to
important multilateral meetings, though they will also reaffirm longstanding
ties with those allies, while the visit to India is an indication of growing
relations between the two countries. Of particular importance is Obama's
participation in the G20 Summit in South Korea and the APEC meeting in Japan
because, Fingar stated, a major purpose of the visit is about the "United
States having a role in building new multilateral institutions." Finally,
while much of the success of the Asia trip rests on how well Obama conducts
himself, Fingar expressed confidence that the President would skillfully manage
the visit.
During his visit to Indonesia, Obama will meet with Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a bilateral
discussion of such issues as economics, security, and higher education. Donald K. Emmerson, director of the Southeast Asia Forum, said that the
postponement of earlier-planned visits to Indonesia has lessened some of the
enthusiasm for Obama's "homecoming" to Jakarta. China's omission on
the trip agenda is noteworthy, he suggested, and Clinton's addition of a stop
in Hainan is due, in part, to help alleviate recent tension between the United
States and China regarding China's claim of sovereignty over the South China
Sea. Clinton's involvement in the EAS is an "important multilateral
engagement" for the United States because of the presence of its ally
Japan and the fact that the United States and China both have a voice there,
unlike the ASEAN Plus Three meetings that do not include the United States.
While in recent months the U.S.-China relationship has become more strained,
Emmerson asserted that the "United States is not going to get into a cold
war with China."
Obama will travel from Indonesia to South Korea for the G20 Summit, another
major multilateral engagement during his travels. David Straub,
associate director of the Korean Studies Program, described several significant
aspects of this time in South Korea. While not technically an organization,
Straub said, the Summit is an important forum for the discussion of economic
stability and growth. Similar to Fingar, Straub noted the efficacy and
significance of in-person meetings. The Summit provides an opportunity for
world leaders to have face-to-face discussions on non-economic issues, such as
North Korea's political situation. Straub suggested that President Lee
Myung-bak's investment in the Summit is based, in part, on raising South
Korea's global prestige, which is tied also to increasing the status of the G20
to become the premiere global financial organization. Finally, Straub stated
that alongside the G20 meeting, Obama and Lee are expected discuss bilateral
relations, which are at an all-time high, including the stalled U.S.-South
Korea free trade agreement (Korus FTA). The FTA, which would be the most
significant free trade agreement for the United States since NAFTA, has faced
opposition and mixed support on both sides.
Obama's visit to India will be the third U.S. presidential visit there in the
past decade, which is indicative of changing U.S. perceptions of India brought
about through the IT boom and growing economic ties, suggested Daniel C. Sneider, associate director of research for Shorenstein APARC. Sneider
pointed to a broader shared agenda despite a lack of clarity on some issues,
such as Pakistan, and a focus on India as Asia's "other" growing economy. He
stated that he would be watching for the United States and India to work
together to emphasize India's role in East Asia, highlighted by India's
participation in the EAS. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has championed
a "look east" policy and expressed stronger interest in East Asia, especially
China. In terms of Obama's visit to the APEC heads of state conference in
Japan, Sneider noted the importance of this trip also for the U.S.-Japan
alliance. The newly formed government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan has
worked to ease tensions in the alliance and both countries hope to use the
visit to bolster a more positive image of the alliance. Certain points of
contention, like the move of the U.S. military base on Okinawa, have been put
aside for the time being. Sneider stated that recent China-Japan tensions have
also served to reinforce the importance of the relationship.
Events during
Obama's Asia visit in the next two weeks will help to solidify or possibly call
into question his image as the "Pacific President," and undoubtedly influence
the role of the United States in Asia for the future.
