海角大神

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought Wednesday to paint a picture of a 21st-century world where the United States remains the preeminent leader 鈥� though less as a result of unrivaled economic and military might than through new and reinvigorated partnerships.

鈥淭he United States can, must, and will lead in this century,鈥� Secretary Clinton told an audience of foreign policy specialists and practitioners at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington. The 鈥渃omplexities of this world鈥� require 鈥渁 new American moment,鈥� she said.

Clinton鈥檚 outline of the Obama administration鈥檚 foreign policy vision comes about a year after she gave a similar speech focused on President Obama鈥檚 national security strategy. Though the rise of China and other emerging powers challenges the idea of preeminent American power, she said in her speech that the world still craves American leadership.

鈥淧eople still look to the US,鈥� she said. Leaders and people in regions around the world look to the 鈥渃an-do spirit that comes with American engagement.鈥� People around the world expect the US, more than other countries, to lead by example and by upholding the values and universal rights America is known for, she said.

Clinton said the Obama administration came into office some 18 months ago determined to 鈥渞evitalize鈥� existing partnerships and to develop new ones. 鈥淲e are beginning to see the dividends of this strategy," she said.

Among the examples she cited are improved relations with Russia 鈥� which she said were 鈥渃ooling to cold鈥� when Mr. Obama took office 鈥� and the forging of an international approach to Iran that has the US in a leadership role rather than deferring to others.

Under the Bush administration, 鈥渨e had been on the sidelines鈥� in efforts to 鈥渟top Iran鈥檚 provocative actions,鈥� she said. But revitalized US relations with a wide range of partners is just one step that has allowed the US to lead the United Nations Security Council to the adoption of a new round of sanctions on Iran, she added.

鈥淲e believe Iran is beginning to feel the impact of these sanctions,鈥� she said.

Offering another example, Clinton said restarted peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians are in part a result of reinvigorated American relations with regional and international partners who will have to play an influential role if the talks are to succeed. She travels next week to the region to continue negotiations begun last week in Washington.

In response to a question from CFR President Richard Haass on the impact of a ballooning national debt on American diplomacy, Clinton said the debt 鈥減oses a national security threat鈥� for two reasons: It 鈥渃onstrains our actions,鈥� on the one hand, and that in turn 鈥渟ends a message of weakness internationally.鈥�

The answer is not waging wars that are not paid for, for example, but 鈥渟marter, more effective鈥� diplomacy that requires the US to 鈥渂etter utilize what we have,鈥� she added.