President Obama heads to Asia and China
President Barack Obama heads to Asia later this week to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Singapore and then on to China. Obama will have to navigate an increasingly complex relationship with the country that is the largest holder of US foreign debt and its second largest trading partner. The trip is intended to make the point that the United States is deeply engaged with Asia, after years of focusing on the threat of Islamic militancy in the region.
"I see China as a vital partner, as well as a competitor," Obama told Reuters in an interview before the trip. The key is for us to make sure that that competition is friendly, and it's competition for customers and markets, it's within the bounds of well defined international rules of the road that both China and the United States are party to, but also that together we are encouraging responsible behavior around the world."
Iran, North Korea, the global economy and trade, climate change, energy, human rights, Afghanistan and Pakistan are likely to get the most attention. Obama will also use a stop in Tokyo to speak broadly about his view of American engagement with Asia.
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