Barack Obama's push to rebalance U.S. foreign policy toward Asia will be the focus of his last visit to the region as president. With a trade deal hanging in the balance of a U.S. election that has free-trade advocates in both major parties on the defensive, Obama will seek to reassure Association of Southeast Asian Nation leaders that the accord can get through Congress.
Joining Obama and the leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries in Laos from Tuesday until Thursday will be the leaders of China, India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Russia for the East Asia Summit. Here's a look at the agenda.
The first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos, Obama's regular attendance at the summit has added significant weight to the annual Asian leaders' meeting and further enhanced American engagement in the region. The first U.S.-ASEAN summit since the signing of last year's "strategic partnership," White House officials say Obama will make a strong case for his signature Asia policies — the U.S. economic and military rebalance to the region, rules-based order, respect for international law and peaceful dispute resolution. China has repeatedly painted the policy as an attempt to contain its economic and military expansion.
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