In less than a week, Obama will be touring Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines to speak with foreign ministers and high-level officials. The first thing to note is that in this Asian tour, China is not on the list. One could agree that giving special acknowledgment to these countries is a positive shift in focus from China. The White House says the trip will focus on closer economic ties for the three countries, but regional security - including China's increasingly powerful presence - is likely to dominate talks.
The trip will also reinforce ties with Asia through building a stronger leadership. However, it is reported that the U.S. is going into this Asian diplomacy with a lack of legitimacy. Asian skeptics feel that Obama has competing interests and will not follow through on promises and talks during his tour. Lastly, another important component of this tour is Obama's future attempt to play mediator between Japan and China. Right now, Japan is depending on the U.S. for security, but the U.S. is depending on China for their money. The U.S. has to
If Obama administration wants to be successful at this PD tour in Asia, they must come prepared with specific and strategic goals for each country. These goals should make sense, by having some relation to U.S. national interest also. Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia are unique cases. While the U.S. will be focusing on Japan's security, in Malaysia, he will be speaking with officials about the missing flight, sending condolences and more assistance for finding the flight.
When returning Washington, Kerry should have an official press briefing on his and Obama's visit, recapturing details that was learned and U.S. efforts to foster more cooperation with Asian interest, not pertaining to China.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27116863
This isn't the first time that the United States has purposely not included China. The talks of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, potentially the world's largest free trade agreement, have also neglected to include China. I think both of these omissions were to warn China against inciting conflict in the region, namely with Japan. After all, China stands a lot to lose if it is ultimately kept out of the TPP.
ReplyDeleteThe Trans-Pacific Partnership, if it were to come into fruition, will encompass 40% of global trade. As China’s economic growth continues to slow, it would be detrimental for it to not take part in the trade agreement. Joining the negotiations alone would increase confidence in the country and do a part in boosting investment. Furthermore, if China were to join negotiations now, then it would have more of a say in its participation in the future, as opposed to adopting the standards that have already been decided upon later.
China should heed the subtle warnings of the United States and work to deescalate tensions with its neighbors. By focusing on economic development instead, China could ensure the stability of the nation in the future.
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