Obama Reneged on “Pacific President”

As soon as he had taken office, Obama billed himself as "America’s first Pacific president,” adding that he was going to refocus on Asia, and would be different from all the “Atlantic presidents” who attached more importance to their relationships with European countries.

And so at the beginning of his term, Obama received a high rating all over Asia, from Indonesia — where he spent four years of his life — to India, and even China. A public opinion poll by the BBC in China showed that two-thirds of respondents believed that the U.S. would enjoy a closer relationship with the world under the leadership of Obama.

But somehow Obama seems to have gone back on his word. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had put him in a terrible fix; plus, with a deteriorating domestic political atmosphere, Obama’s achievements in Asia were numbered.

It seems that Obama does not have much faith in the new Japanese administration and does not know how to get close to India. The trip to Indonesia was cancelled for the third time in early July, which has infuriated supporters from Jakarta. Obama failed to open up a new prospect for trading with Asia. Regarding India, China and Japan — the three most important countries in the region — he has neither paid enough attention to the issues that they are most concerned with nor successfully built a profound friendship with their leaders.

U.S. observers hold the view that Obama was not quite ready for the challenges occurring at home, which was why he appeared to be at his wit’s end when faced with foreign affairs.

A statue of Obama in a Jakarta park has already been removed by Indonesian authorities. Obama issued a statement urging the U.S. and China to join hands for promoting peace in South Asia, which offended India. The first “U.S.-India Strategic Talk,” held in July, was also an empty talk. The Assistant Secretary of State, Robert Blake, even admitted to reporters that, “We do not pay much attention to practical outcomes.”

While Obama did not seem to ignore China, his moderate approach toward China has displeased some of his country’s allies, such as India and Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew said to Obama that the U.S. cannot consider itself a world leader if it cannot gain a firm foothold in the Asian area.

Freedom of trade is as important as national security for every fast-growing economy in Asia. But the U.S. has not been involved in any free trade agreements signed recently.

Japan is one of the closest allies of the U.S. in Asia, but the relationship between the two countries is worsening. Neither side is willing to make a concession over the issue of the American military base in Okinawa. There were not any breakthroughs toward the key issues between the two sides in the G-20 conference, though Naoto Kan chose to sit beside Obama at the dinner table.

Of course, Obama was somewhat fruitful in handling the relations with Asia. He appointed a group of capable staff members to handle Asian issues, which included
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, who successfully maintained good relations with both sides involved in the political unrest in Thailand.

A new international system is forming in the Asian area while Obama is marking time in his homeland. More hesitation will further distance the U.S. from the region.