White House to Host Japanese PM Aso Next Week

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso is set to be the first foreign leader to visit the Obama White House next Tuesday.

The sit-down underscores the new administration's outreach to Asia.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, rather than heading to Europe or the Middle East, is currently on her first official trip abroad -- to Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and China.

The visits are a nod to the growing importance of the region to America's economy and security. Clinton used her opening remarks in Tokyo Tuesday to warn North Korea against testing long-range missiles.

Clinton will also tackle climate change and human rights on the trip. But she said the "backdrop" is the global economic crisis. Japan's economy is at its worst since World War II.

By contrast, former President George W. Bush hosted his first meeting with a foreign leader with then-Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Bush, however, only hosted Chretien on U.S. soil because he shook up the long-standing tradition of making Canada the first foreign stop for new U.S. presidents when he headed first to Mexico.

Obama will restore that tradition Thursday when he visits the United States' northern neighbor and meets with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon last month before Inauguration Day -- his first meeting with a foreign leader since the president election. Since Jan. 20, he has made calls to foreign leaders on almost every continent.

FOX News' James Rosen contributed to this report.