In Asia, Obama's no-show is a boost for China's Xi
President Barack Obama has called off a trip to Asia just as
China's president is being feted in regional capitals ahead of summits where
the U.S. no-show will give China a chance to shine and boost its influence. The
cancellation of Obama's trip because of the partial government shutdown will
also undermine the Obama administration's strategic "pivot" to Asia
in which the U.S. has sought to focus on building economic ties with Asia and
boosting its security presence in the region. But with Washington's foreign
policy still dominated by the turbulent Middle East, questions have been raised
about Obama's commitment to Asia. Meanwhile, new Chinese leader Xi Jinping has
been visiting Indonesia and Malaysia to improve Beijing's image at a time when
its aggressive stance on territorial issues has strained ties with some
countries.
The White House said Thursday that Obama was canceling his
trip to Asia because of the partial government shutdown, In Asia, Xi was
already well-placed to fill the void. In Indonesia earlier this week, lawmakers
applauded after he became the first foreign leader to address Parliament, Then Xi went to Malaysia, where he and
his photogenic first lady met with Prime Minister Najib Razak. While other
nations will be sending prime ministers or presidents to the economic forums,
Washington has now tapped Secretary of State John Kerry to fill in for Obama.
Kerry will also be visiting Malaysia and the Philippines. China claims most of
the sea on historical grounds, but Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia
and Taiwan all disagree. A number of maritime incidents between China and its
neighbors have raised concerns about potential violence.
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