Singapore - Will you be staying for long?

The buzzwords for the Obama administration for the better part of last week, and for some months to come no doubt, have been 'pivot' and 'Asia-Pacific'.

They are meant to signal a reorientation of its focus and its re-engagement with a region off the west coast which, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted, has been neglected for the better part of a decade now.

The administration's promise to substantially increase its investment in the region - diplomatically, economically, politically and strategically - is welcomed by those who have been dis-appointed by its lighter presence but who also understood Washington's necessary distractions in Afghanistan and Iraq. In that time, the United States has lost pace in the region to China's growing economic confidence and influence, and to trade and investment opportunities.

Washington has long recognised the potential and promise of the Asia-Pacific, having joined hands at the birth of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum as an informal dialogue group in 1989, and having hosted its first economic summit in 1993. Now 21-strong and with other economies in the Pacific Rim and beyond seeking membership, it is arguably the premier forum for interactions in a region brimming with potential.

It is not surprising then, with the US preparing to slowly disengage in Afghanistan and Iraq, and with Europe unable to provide the fillip America's economy needs, that President Barack Obama has sought a return to the familiar territory in its Pacific backyard. The goals of this re-engagement are, in the main, to generate growth and jobs. Mr Obama sees these as targets that are vital to convincing Americans, weighed down by their own domestic concerns, that the region offers new and real opportunities for recovery at home. For its Pacific partners, the signal is that it is also committed to remaining a dominant power and ally that can be relied on to deal with security threats or humanitarian disasters.

But for all its good intentions, the nagging question is whether commitment and agreements reached with counterparts at Apec in Hawaii, and with Asean and East Asian leaders next weekend in Bali, will be thwarted by those in an uncooperative Congress at home who are out to derail Mr Obama's prospects for re-election next year. It is one thing to pledge that America is serious in pivoting towards the Asia-Pacific again. But how much will the domestic fight over budget reforms, a bruising re-election battle, or the next inter-national crisis requiring American intervention get in the way?

So welcome back to the region. But how long can you stay?

News Desk

The Straits Times

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