Barack Obama and Asia

Now that the elections are over and we now have a "change agent" as President of the United States, the question that everybody is asking right now, especially in Asia is--how would President Barack Obama tackle issues affecting the Asia-Pacific region?

Let's discuss the economy, a turf which President-elect Barack Obama claims to have the necessary prescription. What will be the overall economic paradigm that Obama will use to help ailing Asian economies? Obama's speeches reflect his leaning towards strengthening the internal economic engines of his country. His focus would be more on job-generation, lifting taxes through tax holidays and breaks and stressing more on enhancing the local economy than globalization.

Will that mean more emphasis on US economic interests than external ones? Will this means more U.S. exports dumping into Asian markets than imports? Will President Obama enter into more regional trade agreements? Or will Obama give more emphasis on foreign economic aid?

How will the US address the recession in Singapore, a main U.S. ally in Asia? How will Obama engage China, who now admits to be in a recessionary mode as well? Will an Obama administration be a "friendlier" trade partner with China? Or, will Obama change tack and try to equalize the unequal trade relationship between the two countries by force of negotiations?

On security. How will Obama tackle North Korea? Will Obama engage the North Korean government and ask them to permanently dismantle their nuclear programs? What would be Obama's answer to the growing Islamism in Asia, especially in SouthEast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines)? Will Obama continue the Bush anti-terror campaign which is using armed force or will Obama go the other route, which is engagement? If we are to gauge on Obama's first speech as President in Chicago, he tends to favor on using armed force (or war diplomacy) than pursuing the peace route. If that will be the case, what would be Obama's response to an escalated terrorist situation?

President-elect Barack Obama faces tremendous challenges, comparable to the one faced by former US President Theodore Roosevelt. In Obama's mind, there are just two wars that he needs to address--an economic war and an anti-terror menace. These wars not only threaten the survival of the world's self-proclaimed democratic power--it also threatens the entire human civilization. Now, Americans have spoken. They want change. Change can either be for the better or for the worst. Will the world enter into a hippie's golden age of change or will we slide to that dark, unchartered and uncertain future?

We will know in the next few weeks and months how Obama will try to change the world. Political rhetorics are now, over. As Obama said, it's time for Americans to climb themselves up to the ladder of change. And the world will follow.

By the way, my friends, join me in an international organisation called Asian Observers. Since President-elect Barack Obama says he'll listen to all stakeholders, let's join hands in writing our concerns to the New U.S. President. You can register at http://asianobservers.newsvine.com. For my political writings about global concerns, check out http://thenewobserver.newsvine.com