Trade protection, climate change
top Obama concerns in Asia trip

BY JENNIE L. ILUSTRE

WASHINGTON – The think tank Heritage Foundation on Monday said it believes while President Barack Obama is a free trader, his first Asian trip would not result in any substantive trade agreements.

Walter Lohman, Foundation director of the Asian Studies Center, however said Obama’s Asian trip "sends a good signal" of the United States continued presence and more active engagement in the region.

Lohman and three other foundation experts agreed on these two points in Monday’s panel discussion, devoted to trade and economic issues. "A lot of this trip will be about trade protection, and the very difficult issue of climate change," Lohman said.

Obama is expected to meet Asean leaders during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Singapore in Nov. 14-15.

Derek Scissors, a Research Fellow for Asia Economic Policy, said the US should be leading the free trade charge in East Asia but noted the Obama administration still "has no trade policy" towards the region.

Dean Cheng, the foundation’s new research fellow for China political and security affairs, said Obama’s visit "will reaffirm alliances with the region, a cornerstone of the US policy, and peaceful resolutions in the Taiwan straits."

Security issues involving North Korea’s de-nuclearization and Iran’s nuclear controversy, and also the US role in promoting better China-Taiwan economic relations, were also taken up.

Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow for Northeast Asia, said Japan’s debt situation is a US concern, among other things. "Japan-US relations span a broad realm of political, economic and security aspects," he said.

The administration "should tread carefully to avoid alienating its newly assertive and prickly ally," he said. "But the two nations should discuss areas where Japan can play a greater security role in both Afghanistan and globally."

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