U.S. Promise of Asia Focus Faces Questions as China Rises
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President Barack Obama’s emphasis this week on restricting the use of the military abroad risks an unintended consequence: deepening concern about fading U.S. engagement among Asian nations locked in disputes with China.
Obama’s defense chief, Chuck Hagel, leads the U.S. delegation to an annual security conference in Singapore that started today, two days after Obama said the armed forces can’t be the “primary component of our leadership.” The gathering concludes a week that’s seen China’s fighter jets challenging Japanese planes and the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat after a collision with a Chinese vessel.