U.S. Secretary of State to visit Asian countries for alliance
According to Xinhua, the top U.S. envoy will first go to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, where President Barack Obama will host leaders of the regional group for their annual summit over the weekend.
On Thursday, Clinton will speak at the East-West Center, recapping the APEC 2011 year and underscoring what she has termed America's Pacific Century. She will also meet bilaterally with a number of foreign ministers and representatives from the region.
The secretary would host a meeting of Pacific Island leaders on Saturday as part of the administration's commitment to ongoing dialogue with this region, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.
Clinton will travel to Manila on Nov. 15 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. "Her visit there will underscore the administration's ongoing broader efforts to reaffirm and broaden our alliances," Nuland said.
In addition, Clinton will participate in a signing ceremony to launch the implementation phase of the Partnership for Growth with the Philippines.
While in Bangkok, she will underscore the strong U.S. alliance with Thailand and its support for the Asian nation's recovery efforts following severe flooding. She will also meet with senior officials to discuss shared interests and regional issues ahead of the East Asia Summit.
Clinton will travel to Bali, Indonesia on Nov. 17-19 for the East Asia Summit and the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting. The U.S., along with Russia, is attending the East Asia Summit for the first time.
"The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action," Clinton wrote in the November issue of Foreign Policy magazine.
"Harnessing Asia's growth and dynamism is central to American economic and strategic interests and a key priority for President Obama," she wrote in her article, entitled "America's Pacific Century".
The Obama administration has given the Asia-Pacific region high priority since taking office in January 2009, but for most of this year, it has been preoccupied with events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa, including involvement in the military mission in Libya which eventually removed Muammar Gaddafi from power.
Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said in August U.S. foreign policy needed to transition from the Middle East to Asia.
"One of the most important challenges for U.S. foreign policy is to effect a transition from the immediate and vexing challenges of the Middle East to the long-term and deeply consequential issues in Asia," Campbell said then.
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