November 15, 2009

OBAMA TOURS ASIA NATIONS

President Barack Obama, and his Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton arrived in China on Sunday for three days of discussion about mutual interests in the global economy, environment, human rights and North Korea.

Previously, he had traveled to Japan and Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Summit.  There he pledged to forge closer ties with Japan and other Asian nations.

In Singapore, Mr. Obama had met with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and suggested their two nations might agree to sanctions against Iran.  The latter has threatened to use its enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb with which to attack its neighbors – particularly Israel.

Obama will close his goodwill tour by visiting South Korea where the United States maintains an army of 28,500 American troops in support of a 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty that will expire April 17, 2012.

CHINA CURRENCY

As the New York Times pundit David Barboza speculates, Obama will urge China to permit its currency to appreciate and thereby speed up market reforms that give American companies greater access to the huge Chinese market.

“Some American labor unions and some members of Congress continue to press for trade sanctions -- arguing that China manipulates its currency to gain and unfair advantage, costing America jobs.

“Other economists however, contend the currency is a false issue – noting that only 18 percent of America’s imports come from China, and that many of those are simply assembled in China – using parts from around the world.

“Many of those are simply assembled in China, using parts from around the world.

“In Obama’s visit to Japan, he said that he does not fear China’s rise, but welcomes it.”

THOUGHTS FROM MY PAST

For a Chinese youth’s 1979 prophesy, search this column’s Feature Stories: “New-Old China” of December 14, 2003.

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist