Obama says U.S. “Pacific Power”
Faces doubts in meetings with Asian allies
President Barack Obama said Saturday that the United States “is and always will be a Pacific power,” and pledged that he would keep his eyes on the region for the rest of his term in office despite skepticism in Asia that the region is only of passing interest to Americans.
Speaking to college students on the Queensland Un iversity ca mpus, Obama argued that Americans have long sacrificed “blood and treasure” so that people of the region “might live free.”
“So no one should ever question our resolve or our commitment to our allies,” Obama said. “I’m here today to say that American leadership in the AsiaPacific will always be a fundamental focus of my foreign policy.”
Obama, a Hawaii native who considers himself America’s first Pacific president, promised during his first term that he would oversee a U.S. “pivot to Asia,” a realignment of strategic and diplomatic interests to focus on the continent.
But the Obama administration was never able to make that turn as fully as it wanted, given persistent and pressing issues, including war and conflict in the Middle East and domestic political problems.
This time last year, Obama abruptly canceled a lengthy trip to Asia as Republicans threatened to shut down the government.
He sent Secretary of State John F. Kerry to take his place at several summits in Asia and has sent his Pentagon chief and national security adviser several times in the past year to work on relations.
But the sting of the noshow has lingered over the president’s trip through China, Myanmar and Australia this week. At every stop, he has insisted in private conversations with leaders that the renewed focus on Asia and Australia is real.
The idea was at the heart of his opening message upon arrival in Brisbane for a summit of the world’s leading economies, the Group of 20.
People have been understandably skeptical of America’s promised rebalancing regarding Asia, Obama said. It’s true that pressing events have demanded U. S. attention, he said, and as the world’s superpower, the nation is obligated to focus on them.