President Barack Obama vigorously defended his commitment to strengthening US ties with the Asia Pacific, arguing on Saturday that while a flurry of crises elsewhere in the world have demanded his attention, those matters have not weakened his dedication to this fast-growing region.
“There are times when people have been skeptical of this rebalance, they’re wondering whether America has the staying power to sustain it,” Obama said during remarks in Brisbane, Australia, where he was attending the Group of 20 economic summit of developed and developing nations. “I’m here to say that American leadership in the Asia Pacific will always be a fundamental focus of my foreign policy.”
Obama has long faced questions about his commitment to putting the Asia Pacific at the center of his foreign policy, an effort he sees as a core part of his presidential legacy. Politically weakened in the US as he enters his final two years in office, Obama arrived in the region this week also facing skepticism about whether he has the power to follow through on his pledges.
During a speech at the University of Queensland, the president argued that challenges around the world often have the effect of deepening ties between the US and the Asia Pacific rather than creating divides. He singled out the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, noting that 38 Australians were killed when Moscow-backed rebels shot down a commercial airliner.
“As your ally and friend, America shares the grief of these Australian families and we share the determination of your nation for justice and accountability,” he said.
Obama devoted a significant portion of his remarks to addressing the complex relationship between the US and China, his first stop on a weeklong tour of the region that also included a visit to Myanmar. Given its size and rapid growth, Obama said China, too, will inevitably play a critical role in the future of the Asia Pacific.
“The question is what kind of role will it play,” he said. He said that while the US welcomes the rise of a peaceful and responsible China, the Asian power must “adhere to the same rules as other nations.”
The president’s tone toward China was noticeably tougher during his remarks in Australia than during his three days in Beijing, where he and President Xi Jinping sought to emphasize their areas of agreement. Obama’s shift in emphasis reflects the concern among other nations in the region about China’s increasing aggression, particularly in its territorial disputes with neighbors.
That’s expected to be a major focus of Obama’s meeting Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott. China has long been skeptical of the relationship between the three countries, seeing their alliance as an effort to counter its rise.
