President Obama, in a summit with leaders from APAC region, considers the success of this region to be the deciding factor as to whether or not he will be able to put people in the United States back to work.
Talking to leaders in the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum at a summit in Hawaii, Obama clearly stated the objective of this meeting by saying, “We represent close to 3 billion people, from different continents and cultures. Our citizens have sent us here with a common task: to bring our economies closer together, to cooperate, to create jobs and prosperity that our people deserve so that they can provide for their families.”
With American growth at the helm of discussions, his desire for a seamless regional economy was expressed in meeting with leaders from nations that account for almost half the world’s trade. He also made it very clear that the United States had shifted from a post 9/11 focus on war to engaging with the entire Pacific region in terms of trade.
Alternatively, the President also sought to gain agreement with Russia and China (both permanent members of the UN Security Council) on the issue to stifle Iran’s nuclear ambition using international sanctions but ended without any indication of progress on the matter.
Obama’s focus is on positioning the United States as a major player amongst nations such as Australia, Peru, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam in the trade bloc. Japan, of course, is yet to be persuaded. Meanwhile elsewhere, Romney is sure that if Obama is reelected, Iran will have a nuclear weapon on its hands.
