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As the first secretary of state since the 1960s to launch diplomatic efforts in Asia, Clinton expressed hopes that her trip will reinvigorate relations between the U.S. and Southeast Asia.
"I have come to Asia as my first trip as secretary of state to convey that America's relationships across the Pacific are indispensable to addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities of the 21st century," Clinton said upon her arrival in Japan.
She is also traveling through Indonesia, South Korea, and China, and plans to return to the United States on Sunday.
Issues on the agenda
As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton represents the U.S. in international negotiations and is also responsible for conveying America’s message to the world. As she travels through Asia, she will take part in policy negotiations as well as cultural events.
Clinton chose to launch the trip in Japan, a gesture meant to calm the country’s fears that its interests would be overshadowed by neighboring China’s rise to prominence as an industrial powerhouse.
Clinton’s stop in Indonesia provided her with a chance to portray Americans as sympathetic to concerns in a country with the world’s largest Muslim population.
She held talks with Indonesian officials, but also appeared on a popular music show for young people where she talked about her favorite music.
While in China, Hillary Clinton will have to toe a careful line between addressing the country’s alleged human rights violations and continuing the two nations' mutually beneficial trade relationship.
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions
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 North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's interest in nuclear weapons threatens security in the region.
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Hoping to keep its interests at the top of Clinton’s agenda during her meetings with Asian and especially South Korean leaders, North Korea has threatened to test a long-range missile.
Intelligence reports have indicated that North Korea’s Taepodong-2 missile may be capable of reaching the U.S.
Although the Obama administration’s foreign policy has focused largely on the Middle East and Afghanistan, Clinton has stressed the importance of making sure North Korea dismantles its nuclear program in order for relations between the two countries to improve.
Clinton remarked that a North Korean missile test "would be very unhelpful in moving our relationship forward."
South Korea and China have also voiced concerns about the stability of the region in light of recent reports that long-time North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is too sick to run the country.
On her way to South Korea, Clinton said, "I will spend a lot of time trying to determine from the South Koreans and the Chinese what their information is…We are going to have to feel our way forward here."
A more ‘robust diplomacy’?
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President Obama promised to renew American diplomacy and named former rival Clinton to head the State Department. |
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On the heels of his campaign promises to make diplomacy a cornerstone of his foreign policy, President Obama tapped his high-profile rival from the Democratic primary to be the nation’s chief diplomat in December.
As competitors on the campaign trail, both Clinton and Mr. Obama criticized the Bush administration for damaging America’s global reputation by relying too heavily on military power at the expense of diplomatic negotiations. Clinton was often portrayed as having more experience in international affairs.
Speaking at the State Department on January 24, Clinton echoed Mr. Obama’s sentiments: "I will do all that I can to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future."
The president also appointed two diplomatic heavyweights as special envoys: Richard Holbrooke to Afghanistan and Pakistan and George Mitchell to the Middle East.
Foreign policy experts are speculating as to how the envoys will interact with Hillary Clinton as she works to define her role as America’s chief representative overseas.
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American schools and financial aid should be only for legal citizens of the United States. There should be no exceptions to this.
