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US President Barack Obama - Source: Reuters -
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President Barack Obama pledged to pursue pragmatic cooperation
with China, engage more deeply in Asia and push for deeper trade
ties with the region in a major speech in the Japanese capital on
Saturday.
Tokyo is the first stop in Obama's nine-day Asian tour, which also
takes him to Singapore for an Asia-Pacific summit, to China for
talks likely to feature climate change and trade gaps, and to South
Korea, where the North's nuclear ambitions will be in focus.
Obama, on his first trip to Asia since becoming leader, reaffirmed
Washington's decades-old alliance with Japan, strained lately by a
row over a US military base and questions about the future of the
ties as both countries adapt to a rising China.
"But while our commitment to this region begins in Japan, it does
not end here," Obama told an audience of about 1,500 people.
"So I want every American to know that we have a stake in the
future of this region. This is where we engage in much of our
commerce and buy many of our goods.
"And this is where we can export more of our own products and
create jobs back home in the process," said the Hawaii-born Obama,
dubbing himself America's first "Pacific President".
Obama, who must manage the strains in ties with a rising China,
welcomed Beijing's growing global role.
"So the United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a
deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of our bilateral
alliances. On the contrary, the rise of a strong, and prosperous
China can be a source of strength for the community of nations," he
said, adding he would seek improve communication between the two
countries' militaries.
"Of course, we will not agree on every issue, and the United States
will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we
hold dear - and that includes respect for the religion and cultures
of all people."
Obama has been criticised by some who believe he is downplaying
human rights issues.
Nuclear deterrent, economic imbalances
The president, expected to take up climate change in China - one of
the world's top two greenhouse gas emitters with the United States,
also urged developing nations to take "substantial actions" to curb
the emissions that are causing global warming.
"I have no illusions that this will be easy, but the contours of a
way forward are clear. All nations must accept their
responsibility," he said in his speech.
Obama reiterated his call for a world free of nuclear weapons to
applause from his audience in Japan, the only country to have
suffered atomic bombings. But he vowed to maintain the US nuclear
deterrent as long as it was needed.
"Now let me be clear: so long as these weapons exist, the United
States will maintain a strong and effective nuclear deterrent that
guarantees the defence of our allies, including South Korea and
Japan," he said.
Obama also urged an unpredictable North Korea to return to stalled
multilateral talks on its nuclear programme.
"We will not be cowed by threats, and we will continue to send a
clear message through our actions, and not just our words: North
Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead
only to less security, not more," he said.
Obama reiterated his call to redress the economic imbalances blamed
by many for the global financial crisis.
"First, we must strengthen our economic recovery, and pursue growth
that is both balanced and sustained," he said.
"Now that we are on the brink of economic recovery, we must also
ensure that it can be sustained. We simply cannot return to the
same cycles of boom and bust that led us into a global recession.
We cannot follow the same policies that led to such imbalanced
growth."
Fresh government figures on the US trade deficit could add urgency
to Obama's efforts to seek greater export opportunities in China
and other Asian countries.
America's trade gap ballooned in September by 18.2% to $36.5
billion, according to US Commerce Department figures released in
Washington on Friday.
It was the largest monthly increase in more than 10 years, driven
by higher oil prices and a surge in imports from China.
The import growth may reinforce US concerns that China's currency
is undervalued against the dollar, which US manufacturers say gives
Chinese companies an unfair trade advantage.
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