PRESIDENT EMBARKING ON MAJOR ASIAN EXPEDITION
News Date November 10, 2009
On Thursday, President Barack Obama will embark on a major trip to Asia, which many hope will yield some new gains in trade discussions with several key partners. According to the White House, the President’s mission during this trip is to, “renew America's alliances in the region, to continue to forge new partnerships, and to make progress on a whole series of issues ranging from our economic recovery agenda; our efforts in Afghanistan…our efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, including our continued efforts in relation to North Korea and Iran; and also our effort to make progress on clean energy and combating climate change.”
Beginning in Japan, President Obama will spend time with Prime Minister Hatoyama Ichiro and the Emperor and Empress, as well as deliver a keynote speech in Tokyo. With the new government in Japan, this could turn out to be a critical visit to build relations with the Democratic Party of Japan, which seek a more equal status with the United States. Next, the President will join U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Ron Kirk at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore, a forum of 21 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. While at the summit, the President plans to spend one-on-one time with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The next stop is Shaghai, where President Obama plans to sit down with Chinese President Hu Jintao. This will be the President’s first visit to China. In conclusion, the President will head to meetings in South Korea, where he will have bilateral talks with President Lee Myung-Bak. (Contact: Amy Mann)