‘US commitment to Asia strong’

NUSA DUA, Indonesia – Secretary of State John Kerry insisted yesterday that the United States’ commitment to Asia was as strong as ever after President Barack Obama canceled a trip to the region due to the US government shutdown.

“Let me be clear, none of what is happening (in Washington) diminishes one iota our commitment to our partners in Asia,” Kerry told journalists at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Indonesia’s Bali island.

Obama had been due to attend the forum and the East Asia summit in Brunei next week as part of a tour designed to advance the much vaunted US “pivot” to Asia.

But late Thursday the White House announced that he was canceling his attendance at both key meetings due to the first US government shutdown in 17 years. Obama had cancelled planned visits to the Philippines and Malaysia.

In Bali, Malacañang officials said the cancellation of Obama’s visit will not weaken the Philippine position in its maritime dispute with China.

“We should not read too much that they are not going to meet,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said, referring to President Aquino and Obama.

“I don’t think this (cancellation of the visit) will isolate the Philippines,” he told newsmen in an interview at the Melia Hotel here. “The Philippines has been very active (in issues involving China). The Philippines has even been more engaged in the last three years.”

Carandang said they believe Beijing shares Manila’s position for a peaceful resolution of their maritime row. “It is in no one’s interest to escalate tensions,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we all believe in one thing: we want peace. We just have different ways of going about it. We have all the same goals,” he said.

On Obama’s cancelled visit, the Palace official said Aquino perfectly understands the US president’s situation.

“They need to settle their domestic issues first,” he said.

Earlier, Carandang hinted China’s intrusions into areas within Philippine territory would be discussed in an Aquino-Obama meeting.