US President Barack Obama next month (Sept) will
make what is expected to be his final trip to Asia, a region at the centre of
his administration's foreign policy, to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and
other world leaders, the White House said on Thursday (Aug 18).
During his time in the White House, Obama has sought
to"rebalance" America's defence and economic policy to counter
China's rising influence.
During the trip from Sept 2-9, Obama will attend the
Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, China, where he will also meet privately with
Xi, the White House said in a statement.
He also will travel to Laos to participate in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit and East Asia Summit,
where leaders have grappled with China's territorial claims in the South China
Sea.
Obama will be the first US president to visit Laos.
He will have a bilateral meeting with Laos President Bounnhang Vorachith and
attend a town hall with young leaders, the White House said.
The trip will also be a chance for Obama to promote
the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, a key part of his
Asia strategy that he hopes the US Congress will approve before his term ends
on Jan 20.
Trade deals and their impact on US manufacturing
jobs have become a hot-button issue in the Nov 8 presidential campaign.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump both oppose
the TPP, and congressional approval is uncertain.
straitstimes.com
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