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| U.S. President Barack Obama (Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Reid Lidow
During his visit to Asia, the president has the opportunity to revive a floundering policy.
With the midterm elections behind U.S. President Barack Obama, the domestic political agenda is set for the remainder of his term. But the foreign policy menu is an open buffet, and Obama has a strong opportunity before him as he heads to China, Myanmar, and Australia. The rebalancing or “pivot” in the Asia-Pacific showed great promise during the president’s first term, but as of late it seems to have wobbled as a consequence of an anemic foreign policy.
But it’s not too late. The president should make a second, more cohesive attempt at the pivot. So what would constitute “Pivot 2.0?” The United States must take an active role in Asia-Pacific affairs and should forge, or deepen, partnerships that will open new markets. In turn, the U.S. will realize externalities – or spillover effects – achieved through broader market integration yielding both economic and security benefits. To that end, the new pivot must rectify previous deficiencies. Political will, a deepened commitment to the region, and a clearly articulated foreign policy vision will go a long way.
All of this will be put to the test during the president’s Asia-Pacific swing. In Beijing, Obama will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first round of high-level discussions since the June 2013 summit in Sunnylands. As was illustrated at Sunnylands, the cyber warfare issue is one that cannot easily be controlled. While many policymakers would find the pushing on a string position to be an unacceptable starting point, the president should try to break new ground in discussions and not rewind the tape.
Read the full story at The Diplomat