US President Barack Obama’s Asia trip has turned into an early test of whether his global goals and prestige will survive his weakened grip on domestic power, following a painful rebuke from voters.
In India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan, Obama is trying to pull off the trick of advancing a still ambitious foreign policy, while reducing high unemployment left barely touched by the sluggish economic recovery.
Obama once jetted the globe as the bright new hope of US diplomacy, smashing the war-scarred legacy of his predecessor George W. Bush with soaring appeals to Muslims, allies and foes and getting a Nobel prize for his pains.
Now, after the Democratic midterm election slump, foreign leaders may wonder if the brave new world where diplomatic breakthroughs have been fleeting is a mere interlude in a long Republican era.
They also want to assess whether Obama can regroup before the 2012 presidential election.
Obama’s long flight to India may have offered him a first chance to reflect on the Republican rout, which seized the US House of Representatives and slashed the Democratic US Senate majority.
Despite his defeat, Obama can thank the US Constitution for reserving foreign policy largely for the president, offering a degree of freedom to maneuver he rarely gets on domestic issues.
However, a hostile Congress can frustrate a president’s goals, withhold funding for priorities and hike the political price of a specific foreign policy course.
It is already certain that Republicans will kill Obama’s bid to pass laws cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, the president ignores the message of the elections at his peril.
“That the economy is the major concern of voters is pretty clear,” said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor and expert on the domestic political impact of US foreign policy.
Obama’s peers, especially at the G20 summit in Seoul and the APEC summit in Yokohama, Japan, may worry that fiscal and monetary policy could be hurt by his diminished domestic clout.
Foreign leaders will want answers on implications for deficit reduction, trade and efforts to stimulate US economic growth, said Daniel Price, a former Bush adviser responsible for G20 issues.
Some analysts believe foreign policy and foreign markets may hold the key to US economic recovery and a political boost for Obama.
Obama made a rueful reference to his plight in Mumbai on Saturday, noting that even “messy” democracy was best, though “sometimes, the election doesn’t turn out as you’d like.”
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS