Opening the first visit to Malaysia by a US president in nearly half a century, US President Barack Obama looked ahead yesterday to economic and security talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who leads a Southeast Asian nation with an important role in Obama’s efforts to forge deeper ties with Asia.
Meanwhile, upon leaving South Korea earlier yesterday, Obama said the US did not use its military might to “impose things” on others, but that it would use that might if necessary to defend South Korea from any attack by the reclusive North Korea.
The North warned last month it would not rule out a “new form” of atomic test after the UN Security Council condemned Pyongyang’s launch of a mid-range ballistic missile into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula.
Photo: EPA
Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye presented a united front against North Korea at a joint news conference following their summit on Friday, warning that they would respond firmly to any “provocations” by Pyongyang, which routinely threatens the US and South Korea with destruction.
“We don’t use our military might to impose these things on others, but we will not hesitate to use our military might to defend our allies and our way of life,” Obama told cheering US forces at the Yongsan garrison on a sunny spring morning.
“So like all nations on Earth, North Korea and its people have a choice. They can choose to continue down a lonely road of isolation, or they can choose to join the rest of the world and seek a future of greater opportunity, and greater security and greater respect — a future that already exists for the citizens on the southern end of the Korean Peninsula,” he added.
Adding to tensions surrounding Obama’s visit to South Korea, the North announced on Friday it had detained a 24-year-old American this month who demanded asylum after arriving in the country on a tourist visa.
Obama is using his week-long Asia tour to try to ease doubts among US allies about his promise to “rebalance” military, diplomatic and economic resources toward the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region.
Obama’s next stop in Malaysia yesterday was to be the Istana Negara — the National Palace — for an audience with Malaysia’s royal family, before he was scheduled to take his seat later yesterday at a state dinner in his honor.
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