Obama in Asia: much to do, and so little time

• Last Updated: November 11. 2009 7:54PM UAE / November 11. 2009 3:54PM GMT

With unemployment figures above 10 per cent and a healthcare bill looking to go from sure thing to almost, Barack Obama might be relieved to get out of the US for a couple of days. But as he begins his first official visit to Asia, it’s not as if his record abroad is much better. The Middle East peace process is a debacle; diplomatic efforts with Iran are stalled; Iraq continues to lurch from controversy to controversy; and Afghanistan is on the brink. It is fair to ask when the US president will be able to move items from the inbox to the outbox.

Perhaps one reason he has taken so long to get around to East Asia is that he had too much on his plate already. By the end of his Asia tour, Mr Obama will have visited 20 nations in his first year, more than any US head of state. But his seemingly maniacal devotion to tackling all the big problems at once has resulted in little benefit for either his country or the world.

A solid achievement would be useful, and he will have his chance on this trip. Much has been done by his lieutenants to bolster damaged ties with Japan, reassure South Korea on North Korea, foster co-operation with China on economic issues, and boost ties with a booming Southeast Asia. Mr Obama’s goal will be to cement those gains.

In Japan, he must help the new Japanese prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, through a sea change in the political landscape. Mr Hatoyama defeated the incumbent Liberal Democratic Party partly through running on a platform of Japanese independence from US foreign policy. But his anti-American policies have placed him in a bind. Popular sentiment has been against the US military presence in their country, but no Japanese politician wants to be the one to ask them to leave: the defence guarantees the US offers are far too valuable. Mr Obama must help his Japanese counterpart to navigate a minefield of his own construction, and reaffirm a damaged friendship.

In China, the US must take off its kid gloves and speak frankly, even if only behind closed doors. The standoff between Washington and Beijing over the valuation of the yuan and the global trade imbalance may have been more muted under Mr Obama, but the problems persist. The artificial devaluation of the Chinese currency fuels imbalances in the global economy. Of additional concern is China’s naval modernisation efforts and power projection. It has already sparked one mini arms race in the South China Sea, and threatens another in the Indian Ocean.

In South Korea, Mr Obama must reassure Seoul that its interests will not be ignored in North Korean nuclear negotiations. The US recently agreed to bilateral talks ahead of renewed six party talks with Pyongyang. South Korea will want a say in the outcome, since it is most threatened by any breakdown in discussions.

In Singapore, Mr Obama will be the first president to meet the Asean heads of state. It is a recognition of the group’s growing global clout. But he must use the historic moment to coax them towards a more responsible role in world affairs, most particularly in pressuring its most troublesome member state: Myanmar.

Even for these relatively modest goals, it’s a lot to accomplish in one week. But doing as much as possible in the least amount of time has become the hallmark of Mr Obama’s presidency. We wish him luck.