Obama's visits to Manila and Kuala Lumpur are intended to make up for his no-show when he cancelled a previous Asia tour in October amid domestic political strife in Washington. A subtext to his visit will be rising territorial tensions between several US allies and China, which deepened over Beijing's recent declaration of an "air defense identification zone" in the East China Sea. Beijing was also angered last week when Washington stiffened its line on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, calling for adjusting or clarifying its claims. Obama's stops in Japan and South Korea will also bolster close US alliances, at a time of aggravated political tensions between its two Northeast Asian friends. It was an open secret that Obama would visit Japan in April, to take up an invitation from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who took office in December 2012. But the decision to add South Korea to the trip came after rising pressure from Seoul and from the Asia policy community in Washington. The move also reflects a desire to signal to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un that there are no gaps in US and South Korean resolve to counter Pyongyang's nuclear program and provocations. It indicates that Obama is keen to avoid dealing a political slight to South Korean President Park Geun-Hye that could have occurred if he visited Tokyo and not Seoul. Relations between the two nations were rattled by Abe's December visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among Japan's war dead. Obama's Asia itinerary also includes one noticeable exception -- a stop in China. But he is expected to return to the region later in the year for regional summits in Australia, Beijing and Myanmar. - 'Ongoing commitment' - The White House said in a statement that Obama's April trip will highlight his "ongoing commitment to increase US diplomatic, economic and security engagement with countries in the Asia-Pacific region." He will try to push negotiations on a vast Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact that would include 12 nations, and is seen by some observers as an attempt to meet the economic challenge of a rising China. The president, however, may encounter some skepticism from regional partners because Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid, a key Obama ally, has expressed skepticism about granting him expanded powers to negotiate trade deals. In light of Reid's remarks, Pacific Rim nations will be loath to make concessions in the trade talks, fearing that any deal agreed may be modified by the US Congress. Obama will stop first in Japan, where he will meet Abe. Then he will travel to Seoul for talks with Park, likely to be dominated by North Korea's latest maneuvering on the divided peninsula. Pyongyang is currently fuming at the prospect of annual US-South Korean military exercises starting later this month and that it views as an act of war. From Seoul, Obama will head to Malaysia to meet Prime Minister Najib Razak to discuss deepening defense and military ties. Obama will be the first US president to visit Malaysia since Lyndon Johnson in 1966. The Obama administration has been building on US efforts to cultivate closer ties with the country following the two-decade rule of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who left office in 2003. Obama's final stop will be Manila, where he will meet President Benigno Aquino and discuss evolving military relations designed to include rotations of US troops in the country. The White House did not give exact dates for the trip, other than saying it would take place in late April. Obama is expected to be away for about a week. - America's first 'Pacific president' - Obama has declared he is America's first "Pacific president" and announced a rebalancing of military and strategic resources to the dynamic, fast-growing region. But the cancellation of his trip last year, and the departure from his administration of big hitters committed to the Asia pivot like former secretary of state Hillary Clinton prompted concern in the region over US staying power. Michael Green, who used to coordinate White House East Asia policy for president George W. Bush, said Obama must convince powers in Southeast Asia that his commitment remains firm in his second term -- amid impressions that Secretary of State John Kerry is more interested in the Middle East. "Within Southeast Asia, they don't think that the new team has the same understanding, or commitment to the importance of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," said Green, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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美國(guó)白宮2月12日宣布,美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬將于今年4月訪問(wèn)日本、韓國(guó)、馬來(lái)西亞和菲律賓亞洲四國(guó),加強(qiáng)與亞太地區(qū)各國(guó)間的外交、經(jīng)濟(jì)和安全關(guān)系。 美國(guó)白宮發(fā)言人卡尼在宣布奧巴馬這一行程時(shí),沒(méi)有說(shuō)明為何不訪問(wèn)中國(guó)的原因。消息顯示,奧巴馬可能會(huì)在今年夏秋之際單獨(dú)訪問(wèn)中國(guó)。 ***天皇將見(jiàn)奧巴馬 奧巴馬總統(tǒng)將于4月下旬首先訪問(wèn)日本,與日本首相安倍晉三舉行首腦會(huì)談。 奧巴馬訪問(wèn)日本的目的是“加強(qiáng)日美同盟、深化包括跨太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)定(TPP)在內(nèi)的經(jīng)濟(jì)關(guān)系以及擴(kuò)大在亞洲地區(qū)的外交課題相關(guān)合作”。日美兩國(guó)將在年內(nèi)修改《日美防衛(wèi)合作指針》,并力爭(zhēng)使TPP談判盡快達(dá)成協(xié)議。 這將是奧巴馬第三次訪日,也是其第二任期中的首次,上次訪日是在2010年11月。此行旨在消除因安倍參拜靖國(guó)神社導(dǎo)致的兩國(guó)間嫌隙,確認(rèn)強(qiáng)化日美同盟。日本政府希望借此機(jī)會(huì)向外界顯示日美間的團(tuán)結(jié)。 有關(guān)訪日的具體日程和是否為日本政府所希望的國(guó)事訪問(wèn),美國(guó)政府表示“正在與日本政府協(xié)調(diào)”。 日本政府關(guān)系人士透露,奧巴馬將于4月22日、23日兩天訪問(wèn)日本。目前正就4月22日至23日的訪問(wèn)日程進(jìn)行最后協(xié)調(diào),還沒(méi)有確定奧巴馬是否會(huì)在東京滯留2個(gè)晚上。日前訪問(wèn)了華盛頓的日本外務(wù)大臣岸田文雄在與克里國(guó)務(wù)卿舉行會(huì)談時(shí),表示:“即使住一個(gè)晚上,日本也希望給予奧巴馬國(guó)賓待遇?!币虼耍瑠W巴馬4月的日本之行,日本政府將予以國(guó)賓待遇,并安排天皇會(huì)見(jiàn)。 ***樸槿惠不甘韓國(guó)被落下 訪問(wèn)日本后,奧巴馬還將訪問(wèn)韓國(guó)。韓國(guó)原本不在訪問(wèn)目的地之列,樸槿惠政府為避免奧巴馬僅訪問(wèn)在歷史問(wèn)題上與韓國(guó)存在對(duì)立的日本,積極爭(zhēng)取到奧巴馬訪韓。美國(guó)官員認(rèn)為,作為美國(guó)盟友,日韓關(guān)系緊張不符合任何一方的利益。 奧巴馬還將訪問(wèn)馬來(lái)西亞和菲律賓,力圖重整被指有名無(wú)實(shí)的重視亞洲戰(zhàn)略。去年10月由于聯(lián)邦政府關(guān)門(mén),美國(guó)總統(tǒng)奧巴馬徹底取消原定亞洲之行,缺席當(dāng)年的亞太經(jīng)合組織領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人非正式會(huì)議以及美國(guó)—東盟峰會(huì)、東亞峰會(huì)。 白宮稱(chēng),此次亞洲之行是為了“加強(qiáng)與亞太地區(qū)各國(guó)間的外交、經(jīng)濟(jì)和安全層面的關(guān)系”。訪問(wèn)日本的目的是“加強(qiáng)日美同盟、深化包括跨太平洋伙伴關(guān)系協(xié)定(TPP)在內(nèi)的經(jīng)濟(jì)關(guān)系以及擴(kuò)大在亞洲地區(qū)的外交課題相關(guān)合作”。 2009年,奧巴馬在東京發(fā)表演說(shuō),以“美國(guó)歷史上首位太平洋總統(tǒng)”自居,宣稱(chēng)美國(guó)是太平洋國(guó)家,與亞洲命運(yùn)密不可分,承諾將更多參與亞洲事務(wù),與傳統(tǒng)盟國(guó)加強(qiáng)合作。但他去年取消亞洲之旅,致力于重返亞太政策的前國(guó)務(wù)卿希拉里和前防長(zhǎng)蓋茨紛紛掛冠而去,引發(fā)一些亞洲國(guó)家對(duì)美國(guó)實(shí)力的質(zhì)疑。 相關(guān)閱讀 蓋茨:會(huì)撿錢(qián) 愛(ài)刷碗 買(mǎi)飛機(jī) 美學(xué)者發(fā)明可視眼鏡 能清楚“看見(jiàn)”癌細(xì)胞 受奧朗德與瓦萊麗分手影響 白宮報(bào)廢300份國(guó)宴邀請(qǐng)函 科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)非洲以外人類(lèi)最古老的腳印遺跡 男子劫機(jī)欲攪亂冬奧會(huì) 計(jì)劃泡湯反被逮捕 (歐葉 編輯:信蓮)
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