Publication

This commentary outlines the main issues raised by President Obama’s April 2014 East Asia tour. More specifically, the author discusses three messages he suggests the tour conveyed: 1) that US presence in the region remains focused on security, as opposed to economic and cultural issues; 2) that there is a lack of consensus on how to achieve peace and stability in the region; and 3) that as a global superpower, the US is expected to fulfill both domestic and global obligations, something that is likely to affect its commitments in the Asia Pacific.