Concerns Rise Around Obama's First Swing Through Asia -- Wall Street JournalSINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--President Barack Obama headed to Shanghai on Sunday to press China on issues from climate change to economic restructuring, amid rising concerns that his first swing through Asia will yield more disappointment than progress on trade, human rights, national security and environmental concerns.
A flurry of actions here this weekend raised more questions than they resolved on a broad sweep of issues confronting both sides of the Pacific. On Sunday, leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum dropped efforts to reach a binding international climate change agreement in Copenhagen next month, settling instead for what they called a political framework for future negotiations.
Read more ....
My Comment: Asia's focus is on the economy and concerns on the U.S. Government's policy and direction on managing the global economic/financial crisis. The U.S. concerns are different .... Afghanistan, North Korea, climate change, and continued support for U.S. fiscal policy.
The most that President Obama should expect from such a trip is a framework for future discussions and negotiations .... there will be no breakthroughs or significant treaties signed on this trip.