views frictions with China from a geo-strategic perspective, seeing the South China Sea dispute as a test of which power will predominate in the Asia-Pacific. and China Fighting Over? Fu Ying – Bloomberg View And it is on the China account where there remains much work. The White House elevated relations with other partners like South Korea and Australia, both of whom were willing to contribute on signature Obama projects like climate change, nuclear security, and global health….Īs much as the administration would like to take a victory lap in Asia, the legacy of the pivot is only partially complete. In North Korea, Obama transitioned from engagement to containment, helping to erect a comprehensive multilateral sanctions regime….he demonstrated positive and historic diplomatic advances with Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. The White House’s critical but unseen coordination with the Japanese government during the Fukushima meltdown, followed by the more public Operation Tomodachi recovery project…helped to restore the reservoir of trust in the alliance. In this regard, Obama responded with worthy midcourse adjustments. Presidencies are remembered not for their plans coming into the Oval Office, but for how they react to the surprises thrown their way. But attention has again been diverted by a perceived slight by China, a slur by the Philippines president and doubts that Obama can get the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal passed by Congress.įor all the time and effort Obama has put into pivoting to Asia, how much will have to be left for the next president? The Unfinished Legacy of Obama’s Pivot to Asia Victor Cha – Foreign Policy Trade, climate change and the situation in the South China Sea sat atop his agenda. Obama has been trying to pivot to Asia for much of his time in the White House, but events in the Middle East and Europe have drawn an extraordinary amount of attention. foreign policy is the “rebalance” to the Asia-Pacific region. (AP)īarack Obama’s tenth and final trip to Asia was billed as an opportunity to demonstrate the how the “ centerpiece” of U.S. President Barack Obama, left, shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping before a group photo session for the G20 Summit in Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, Sept. Middle East / North Africa فارسی ir. كوردی Kurdi Türkçe.Africa Afaan Oromoo አማርኛ Français Hausa Kinyarwanda Kirundi Ndebele Português Shona Soomaaliga Kiswahili ትግርኛ Zimbabwe.East & Southeast Asia Burmese 粵語 中文 Bahasa Indonesia ខ្មែរ Khmer 한국어 ລາວ ไทย བོད་ཡིག Tibetan Tiếng Việt.English Worldwide English Learning English.