Beijing exploits Obama’s absence with diplomatic offensive targeting Southeast Asia

Special to WorldTribune.com

The Chinese leadership has stepped up its “smile diplomacy” vis-à-vis Southeast Asia even as President Barack Obama has been forced to stay home to handle the government-shutdown crisis.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers his opening speech at the 16th China-ASEAN summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on Oct. 9. /Reuters

Immediately after President Xi Jinping’s high-profile appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Bali, Indonesia last week, Premier Li Keqiang is attending the ASEAN forum in Brunei.

While taking part in the 16th China-ASEAN summit on Oct. 9, Li focused on economic cooperation and played down China’s territorial disputes with four of the ten members of this Southeast Asian grouping.

The Chinese head of government called on both sides to redouble efforts to ensure that trade will hit $1 trillion by 2020. Trade between China and ASEAN, which established the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area in 2010, was $400 billion last year.

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APEC, ASEAN, Beijing exploits Obama’s absence with diplomatic offensive targeting Southeast Asia, Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping

Beijing exploits Obama’s absence with diplomatic offensive targeting Southeast Asia added by World Tribune on October 16, 2013
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