Asia Agenda

" From now President Obama is about to depart on his first trip to Asia since taking office along the way mr. Obama will meet with US service members. -- or air force base in Alaska tonight. He then make stops in Japan then he'll visit Singapore for a summit of Asia Pacific leaders. That's to be followed by a two cities stopped in China and the weeklong journey ends in South Korea. The global economy and the threat of North Korea's nukes expected to top the agenda in most of these stops so what can we expect the president to accomplished. To accomplish or should say we're joined by Michael -- director of Japan studies and resident scholar at the American enterprise institute in Washington. These stakes Michael are pretty high here that."

" I think you're right John you know we're ten months into the Obama administration. In the Asians are really gonna be wanting to see what the specifics are. He's going over for -- this this massive economic meeting and -- we don't really have a trade policy. Tells us to go and deal with the new Japanese government and set the tone for relations. Figure out what does specifics we're gonna get out of China and help -- North Korea and Iran. And then finally tell the South Koreans what he's going to do about North Korea so you know it's a big trip. All of these nations obviously are very concerned about North Korea its nuclear arms and and even questionable stability of its leader what should the president tell them. Well I think he has to you know lay out clearly what the next -- we've had no negotiations for ten months on those six party talks. They've just announced that the special envoy ambassador Bosworth will be going back. But we haven't had the allies get together to talk about what the approaches and I think that everyone's waiting for. The lead in there and they're worried that he's distracted by Afghanistan in the economic crisis here. And that just -- North Korea more time to do what it's doing what about China we've got that huge trade deficit with China what does he say to the Chinese. I think the first thing he he's got to tell the Chinese is don't worry about the dollar and you know the Chinese have been the leaders in. Thinking about other reserve currencies and in bringing that up politically. You know the dollar's been hitting new lows and he's got to go over there and convince them as he's got to convince Americans as well. That there's going to be some fiscal sanity in fiscal responsibility in his budget otherwise we're gonna have problems with both the Chinese in the Japanese. Well and my guess the final question is is with Japan and a new government there and he has to say what to them. Well you know we've had this nasty public spat over the past couple of weeks over an agreement. To move around our Marines and close down some bases in Okinawa. I think that everyone wants to get it off the table for the visit I think he's got to go and just make clear. He's committed to this alliance in this relationship and form -- working -- working relationship with that new government so they don't. Continued it to look towards -- look towards China as a possible partners. Michael Osmond from the American enterprise institute Michael thank you."