Q+A: Obama's first presidential tour of Asia

Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:07am EST

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama leaves on Thursday on his first Asian tour since becoming president on January 20.

Here are some questions and answers about his travels and issues that might come up at each stop:

WHY IS OBAMA GOING TO JAPAN?

Obama's November 13-14 visit should address uncertainties about how the staunch U.S. ally will relate to Washington under new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who has vowed to deepen Asian ties and steer a diplomatic course more independent of Washington.

Many Japanese also wonder if historic rival China's growing economic and military clout will affect relations between Washington and Tokyo, which mark the 50th anniversary of their security alliance next year. Obama picked Tokyo for a major address on the U.S. relationship with Asia.

One touchy issue is the future of a U.S. air base on Okinawa, which protesters want off the island and Washington wants moved to a different part of it. The issue threatens to stall a realignment of the 47,000 U.S. troops in Japan and sour defense ties. Obama is not expected to address the matter publicly, but is seen keeping to a hard U.S. line privately.

Washington also wants Japan to contribute to its war in Afghanistan somehow, after Hatoyama said he would not renew a mandate for Japanese ships on an Indian Ocean refueling mission in support of the conflict.

Japan will also seek, and receive, assurance that Obama will keep North Korea's nuclear ambitions as a U.S. priority. Most of Pyongyang's Rodong missiles can hit most of Japan.

WHAT IS ON THE AGENDA IN SINGAPORE?

The global economic crisis and trade will be the main themes for Obama in Singapore November 14-15, when he will attend a summit of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation grouping expected to keep up stimulus policies and push for a global trade deal next year.

U.S. senators are urging Obama to pursue a broader trade deal in the fast-growing region that would build on existing pacts with Singapore, Peru, Chile and Australia but, hampered with domestic political challenges, he is not expected to do much on this trip to achieve that goal.

Obama will also meet with leaders of the 10 nations that make up ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with which he has also been urged to launch trade talks.

A delicate political issue with ASEAN is the involvement of Myanmar, whose military government is shunned by the West over its poor rights record. But the Obama administration said in September it would pursue deeper engagement to try to spur reform and this month saw Washington's highest-level visit to the country in 14 years.

High officials from Myanmar are due to attend the ASEAN-U.S. meeting.

WHAT WILL COME OUT OF SHANGHAI AND BEIJING?

A critical leg of the trip comes November 15-18 in China, the largest holder of U.S. foreign debt and its second-largest trading partner, where talks are expected to address -- but not resolve -- thorny issues including trade, China's currency, climate change and nuclear proliferation.

Washington wants China's support for efforts to rebalance the global economy, seeking to have Beijing shift its economic focus to its own consumers rather than exports, which involves allowing its yuan currency to rise more rapidly and strengthening the social safety net so households won't need to save as much for retirement or health care.

The leaders will talk about climate change, although analysts do not expect much substance from the visit.

Also on the table will be efforts to bring North Korea back into nuclear talks, Chinese cooperation on security, stability and drug trafficking in Afghanistan and Washington's bid to involve Beijing in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.

With trade squabbles between the two countries on products from pork and chicken to tires and automobiles, Obama will seek to put the trade relationship back onto an even keel.

Human rights are unlikely to be a major focus despite Obama last month becoming the first U.S. president in 18 years to refuse to see the Dalai Lama in Washington.

WILL THERE BE PROGRESS ON TRADE WITH SOUTH KOREA?

The biggest issues during Obama's November 18-19 visit to Seoul, with which Washington enjoys particularly warm ties, will be North Korea's nuclear arms ambitions and the stalled U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement.

Although most mainstream U.S. business and farm groups support the pact, it faces strong opposition from labor and two of the big three U.S. automakers. The Obama administration says it wants a free trade deal with South Korea, but only if Seoul makes more concessions. Analysts are not optimistic but will be watching for any movement on the issue as Obama visits.

Like the Japanese, South Koreans will also look for indications from Obama that he is paying close attention to the North Korean nuclear issue.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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