Michael Auslin on Obama and U.S.-Asia Relations
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JET alum Michael Auslin, a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, has the lead item in the February 2009 Issue of AEI’s Asian Policy Update. (I can’t find a link to the issue on the AEI website, so I’m just copying and pasting the item below.)
Obama and U.S.-Asian Relations
President Barack Obama has made clear his commitment to maintaining, deepening, and fortifying America’s presence in Asia. Yet many in Asia are still curious about the extent of his interest in and knowledge of the region and the vision he holds for its future.
Leaders from India to Japan know that the new president is overwhelmed with the economic crisis at home and two wars abroad. They also know that what he does to fix America’s economic woes will have an impact on faltering global economies. Still, Asia is more interested in whether Obama will pursue his campaign promises to restrict free trade, end America’s pursuit of ballistic missile defense, and to get North Korea to end its nuclear program.
To a large degree, Obama’s Asia policy will be determined by the region itself. If Asia appears to be stable and without the need for immediate action, the president is likely to keep his attention focused on Afghanistan and the U.S. economy. Should he take that path, Asia might look very different when Obama runs for reelection in 2012. In the intervening years, North Korea could develop a fully reconstituted nuclear weapons program; China could continue to increase military spending to deal with Tibet and may achieve the capability of preventing American air and naval forces from moving freely throughout the East China Sea and beyond; tensions between India and China might grow commensurate with their clashing interests; and Japan may find itself increasingly isolated in a region that is becoming more heavily armed.
We are a nation with territorial, trade, and political interests that bind us inseparably to this most dynamic region on earth. America must continue to promote freer trade, democratic governance, and interstate stability. Otherwise, we may find ourselves with problems that dwarf anything we face in the Middle East.
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