Hillary Clinton heads to Asia
Updated
The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, says she'll be aiming to make up for years of neglect when she visits Asia this week.
It'll be her first mission overseas as America's top diplomat, a decision Mrs Clinton hopes will underscore the new administration's commitment to improving ties with key Asian nations.
Presenter: Michael Rowland
Speaker: Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State
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MICHAEL ROWLAND: It's been common practice for US Secretaries of State to make their maiden trips to the Middle East or Europe.
Hillary Clinton is breaking with the trend in an effort to do some regional fence-mending.
HILLARY CLINTON: It's a big world and we have a lot of work to do and I think there has been a general feeling that perhaps we didn't pay an appropriate amount of attention to Asia.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Mrs Clinton will this week visit Japan, China, South Korea and Indonesia.
The global economic crisis will be the key theme.
The Secretary of State will stress the need for a coordinated policy response.
HILLARY CLINTON: China, Australia and others in Asia are responding vigorously. We need multiple engines working together to reignite global growth.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: But Mrs Clinton will have to tread carefully.
Michael Green, an Asia policy expert and former Bush administration official, says a lot of countries in the region have a right to be angry with the US over the cause of the financial meltdown.
MICHAEL GREEN: This is not like the '97/'98 Asian financial crisis. This time, the crisis started in the US market. It's appropriate for our officials, and I think this is the tone the Secretary will set, to make it clear that we have problem we have to fix.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Another key challenge for Mrs Clinton is setting the tone for the Obama administration's relationship with China.
HILLARY CLINTON: We believe that the United States and China can benefit from and can contribute to each other successes.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Economic problems are one flashpoint in the US-China relationship.
Climate change is another.
Mrs Clinton notes China recently passed the US in being the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter.
But Bonnie Glaser of the Washington based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says there's unlikely to be instant accord on tackling this environmental challenge.
BONNIE GLASER: The Chinese have said that they are not at this point willing to commit themselves to any caps on their carbon emissions. I'm doubtful that that will change.
MICHAEL ROWLAND: Although she's visiting Indonesia, Hillary Clinton won't be making time for a quick trip to Canberra.
But she says Australia should not feel snubbed.
HILLARY CLINTON: While I'm not able to visit Australia on this trip, we know that Australia is one of our most trusted allies in the world and we remain grateful for our work together in the past and what we will do together in the future.
