dr.umer
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5 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON: US policy in Asia is expected to undergo major shifts, whoever wins the next presidential election.
Both presidential contenders senators Barack Obama and John McCain have new ideas on how to handle a resurgent China, a nuclear-armed North Korea and address the rising militancy threat in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
They also have fresh strategies to beef up alliances in Asia, engage the region in energy security and maintain US influence despite the severe effects of the current financial turmoil at home.
Incumbent President George W. Bush may have been credited by some experts for pursuing policies that have boosted ties with major powers such as China, India and Japan but the Obama and McCain campaigns feel amends are in order.
"The whole range of relationships with Asian countries are in trouble," warned Obama's top Asia advisor Robert Gelbard. "We have to recognize the real importance of Asia that has developed over the last eight years with a great deal of neglect from this administration," he said.
Obama is expected to push for China's entry into the Group of Eight (G8) major powers and link Beijing to a trilateral nuclear energy cooperation network with the United States and Japan, his strategists said. Both Obama and McCain are also equally concerned about the rising Taliban and Al-Qaeda threat in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Obama said that he would launch military strikes on extremist targets inside Pakistan if the Islamabad government is unwilling or unable to act.
McCain countered by calling for a "new strategy" against Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan but did not provide details. "We're going to have to help the Pakistanis go into these areas and obtain the allegiance of the people. It's going to be tough," he said.
