海角大神

With America鈥檚 military presence in Iraq winding down by the end of the year yet with jobs dominating the domestic political picture, President Obama is redirecting his attention to the world鈥檚 rising economic power house 鈥� Asia 鈥� with a nine-day trip to the East.

Beginning Saturday the president will host Asia-Pacific leaders in Hawaii 鈥� where trade and economic development will be a key topic 鈥� before heading to Australia and Indonesia.

The trip鈥檚 two-fold purpose: reassure America鈥檚 Asian allies and partners that the US is committed to strengthening its economic and security ties to the region, while messaging the American public (and voters) that America鈥檚 economic future depends in large part on its ties to the vibrant and fast-growing Asian economies.

Since taking office, Obama has repeated that this will be America鈥檚 鈥淧acific century.鈥� But until now the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, tumult in the Middle East, and even the threat of a financial meltdown in Europe have kept the administration鈥檚 attention to Asia sporadic.

But in a speech at the East-West Center in Honolulu Thursday, in the run-up to the weekend鈥檚 APEC summit, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton insisted that the administration is turning its attention to Asia in earnest.

Noting that world events have 鈥渓ined up in a way that helps make this possible, Secretary Clinton pointed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

鈥淎fter a decade in which we invested immense resources in those two theaters,鈥� she said, 鈥渨e have reached a pivot point.鈥�

鈥淲e now can redirect some of those investments to opportunities and obligations elsewhere,鈥� she added, 鈥淎nd Asia stands out as a region where opportunities abound.鈥�

But is Obama鈥檚 Asia focus coming a bit late and leaving the US playing a game of catch-up? Some US foreign policy experts who have visited the region recently say leaders there wonder if the US, despite Obama鈥檚 鈥淎sia century鈥� rhetoric, is really intent on building up its Asia presence.

鈥淎ll the countries in Asia can see China鈥檚 weight and influence growing in their everyday life, and their question to America is, 鈥榃hat are you doing to respond to that, what is your strategy?鈥欌�� says James Lindsay, director of studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. 鈥淭hey wonder if America is in fact in retreat.鈥�

Clearly Clinton has heard some of these same rumblings coming out of Asia, because she addressed the doubters of America鈥檚 staying power head-on in her East-West Center speech.

鈥淭o those in Asia who wonder whether the United States is really here to stay, if we can make and keep credible strategic and economic commitments and back them up with action, the answer is: Yes, we can, and yes, we will.鈥�

Saying the US will step up its involvement in Asia 鈥渂ecause we must,鈥� she noted that 鈥渋n the 21st century, the world鈥檚 strategic and economic center of gravity will be the Asia-Pacific, from the Indian subcontinent to the Western shores of the Americas.鈥�

Yet even as Clinton seems focused on convincing Asian countries 鈥� including an ever-more-powerful China 鈥� that the US is around to stay, the emphasis at the White House appeared to be on convincing Americans that Obama鈥檚 long sojourn in Asia and his focus on the region more broadly have at their core a strategy for maintaining and expanding US economic power, and for creating jobs.

鈥淲hen the American people see the president traveling in the Asia-Pacific, they will see him advocating for US jobs and US businesses,鈥� said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, in a briefing with reporters this week. 鈥淗e will be trying to open new markets, and he will be trying to achieve new export initiatives.鈥�

Underscoring just how important Obama sees Asia in America鈥檚 economic prosperity, Mr. Rhodes noted that the president鈥檚 goal of doubling US exports by 2015 relies substantially on boosting US business to the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for over half of the world鈥檚 gross domestic product, and over 40 percent of world trade.

鈥淣early all of the efforts we鈥檙e going to be making towards that export goal,鈥� he said, 鈥渢ake place in this part of the world.鈥� 聽