US Presidential advisors debate Asian foreign policy
Updated
It's still unclear if the first U-S presidential debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain will go ahead as scheduled. But at least their Asian policy advisors have met for talks in Washington. And it turns out there's more that unites the two camps than divides them.
Presenter: Joanna McCarthy
Speakers: Michael Green, Senior Adviser and Japan Chair at Center for Strategic and International Studies; Daniel Blumenthal, fellow in Asian studies, American Enterprise Institute; Frank Jannuzi, East Asia specialist for Democratic staff of Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Ambassador Robert Gelbard, Chairman and co-founder of Washington Global Partners, former Ambassador to Indonesia.
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MCCARTHY: For a partisan foreign policy debate in the home stretch of a heated presidential campaign, there was, at times, an awful lot of love in the room. Obama adviser, Frank Jannuzi.
JANNUZI: Well listening to Michael I'm reminded why it is that Bush's policy in Asia has been more successful than his policy in most other regions of the world, and I only wish that his authority with the National Security Council had been a bit greater than it was. He's exactly right about the effort, he's exactly right about how the Indian-Pakistan (interjection) this debate is falling apart.
MCCARTHY: Both sides painted a picture of two candidates whose lives and world views have been profoundly shaped by Asia. McCain adviser, Daniel Blumenthal.
BLUMENTHAL: His basic view coming out of the five and a half years as a prisoner in a Vietnamese prison camp is a deep, deep commitment because his basic human rights were robbed from him, a deep commitment to basic human rights, that's the way he views the world. This is a man who is principled, pragmatic, realistic and idealistic. When he turned around and actually pushed President Clinton to normalise relations with Vietnam. We talk about reengaging with Southeast Asia, this isn't just talk, this is action.
MCCARTHY: Obama adviser, Robert Gelbard, shared his own South East Asia story.
GELBARD: I find whether it's in Asia, or Europe or Latin American it is overwhelming that there is a sense on the part of the governments involved or the peoples with whom I speak that they want Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States. Of course you hear this in Indonesia where he grew up, he could probably be elected president of Indonesia. But he can do both I guess, the United States and Indonesia.
MCCARTHY: For a debate, there was more that united these two sides than divided them. Both conceded that when it comes to Asia, their candidates are basically in tune. Both want closer engagement with China while demanding more transparency about its military build-up and accountability for its human rights record. And both say they want stronger ties with traditional regional allies like India, South Korea, Australia and Japan. McCain adviser, Michael Green.
GREEN: I think you'll hear in between the lines an awful lot of consistency and continuity in American foreign policy towards Asia, that should be reassuring for our Asian friends listening to this. But you'll also hear some important differences.
MCCARTHY: And both sides were keen to play up those differences. Here's Obama adviser Robert Gelbard:
GELBARD: Well we can't really tell which John McCain is really involved in this because this is could it be the John McCain who says we shouldn't be talking to our enemies, he talks harshly about China but then he says he wants to engage with China.
MCCARTHY: That met with this response from McCain adviser Daniel Blumenthal.
BLUMENTHAL: You can ask the same question of Senator Obama, which Senator Obama is it; the one who campaigns in Michigan and Ohio against PNTR with China and against the Korea FTA because of a special interest that's hurting our country in general, or is it now his advisor saying something difference.
MCCARTHY: Obama's opposition to the US South Korea free trade agreement was held up as one of the key points of departure between the two candidates. The other was North Korea, its nuclear ambitions, and Obama's calls for direct talks with Kim Jong-Il. Obama adviser, Frank Jannuzi.
JANNUZI: Senator Obama has commended and repeatedly supported the President in his initiatives to reach out to North Korea multilaterally as well as through direct talks. But Senator McCain opposes direct talks with North Korea, he doesn't apparently understand the way the decision making works inside North Korea. You need to get to the top.
