Big shoes to fill: Secretary
of State Kerry arrives in Bali. Once the
Democratic nominee for
the U.S. presidency, now Kerry needs to
make the presence of
another president felt at the APEC summit.
Is he up to it? Disappointment
at Obama's no-show is palpable.
APEC to Proceed 'Just as Smoothly' Without Obama (The Jakarta
Post, Indonesia)
"Given the political situation concerning budget issues now
taking place there, we fully understand the U.S. decision. We look forward to Secretary
of State John Kerry's effective participation representing the United States.
... Obama's absence is a bit of a disappointment, but the show must go on. ... Even
so, the presence of leaders from 20 other member economies mean that we will
certainly discuss APEC's substantial issues as previously planned."
--
Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa
By Bagus
BT Saragih, Linda Yulisman
and YuliKrisna
Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa: While he says he is sorry President Obama cannot attend the APEC Summit, he isn't too concerned about the consequences. Should Washington be?
U.S.
President Barack Obama was supposed to take the leading role in the prestigious
annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. However, his absence likely
opens opportunities for other global powers to steal the limelight.
Obama
has cancelled his entire Asia trip, which also included participation in the
East Asia Summit (EAS) in Brunei Darussalam later in the week.
Following
Obama's no-show announcement, Indonesians were struggling to maintain the mood.
Meanwhile, China and Russia geared up to take more prominent positions and
boost their respective influence among the 21 APEC economies.
In
a telephone conversation with President SusiloBambangYudhoyono on Friday,
Obama conveyed his "deep regret" for being unable to attend APEC due
to the partial shutdown on the U.S. federal government due to a Congressional
budgetary stand-off.
Foreign
Minister Marty Natalegawa expressed confidence that
the summit would proceed just as smoothly without him.
"Given
the political situation concerning budget issues now taking place there, we
fully understand the U.S. decision. We look forward to Secretary of State John
Kerry's effective participation representing the United States," Marty
said.
Trade
Minister GitaWirjawan
shared Marty's optimism.
"Obama's
absence is a bit of a disappointment, but the show must go on," he said. "Even
so, the presence of leaders from 20 other member economies mean that we will
certainly discuss APEC's substantial issues as previously planned."
High
on the bloc's agenda is to breathe new life into the World Trade Organization,
with concerns being expressed over the future of the trade forum. Obama's presence
was expected to boost confidence in those efforts. Support for the WTO is critical,
as APEC accounts for about 55 percent of global GDP, and some 44 percent of
global trade.
WTO
negotiations over tariff reductions on agricultural and industrial goods between
developed and developing countries have remained at an impasse since the Doha Round of
negotiations in 2008.
This
has eroded confidence in the WTO. The deadlock has also triggered a rise in
bilateral and regional trade agreements. It is feared these might turn into a
veritable spaghetti bowl of conflicting trade rules.
Other
key issues between the United States and the region revolve around the crisis
in Syria and tensions in the South China Sea.
Indonesia
has long tried to move toward center stage on these issues. President Yudhoyono
has called on nations to promote dialogue and a peaceful approach to settling
the Syria conflict, particularly after the recent chemical attack that
reportedly killed hundreds of people.
"We'll
still have other opportunities to discuss the issues [with Obama]. Besides, on
the sidelines of the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg last month, the two state
leaders [Obama and Yudhoyono] discussed the matter," Foreign Minister Marty
said.
Marty
rejected any suggestion that Obama's absence would smooth the way for Chinese
President Xi Jinping to garner greater leverage over
Indonesia, as well as elsewhere in the region.
"I
don't think the absence of any particular leader will necessarily mean greater
roles for other countries. I don't think that's the way things are," Marty
said, pointing out the exceptional role of the United States in the region.
"American
engagement in the region is a continuous, not event-based, fact," he said.
He also denied Obama's decision would affect Jakarta-Washington ties.
"Of
course, it would be wonderful to have President Obama participate in a forum
like APEC, but in recent times, Indonesia-U.S. engagement in the region has
been very good," Marty said.
The
minister acknowledged that the government had prepared to raise several issues during
the now-cancelled Yudhonono-Obama bilateral meeting
in Bali.
When
the White House announced earlier this week that Obama had canceled his visit
to Malaysia and the Philippines but would attend APEC and EAS,
many believed it was because of Washington's seriousness about strengthening
its influence in the region.
Rizal
Sukma, executive director of the Center for Strategic
and International Studies, agreed that China could be "the star" of
the APEC summit as well as the subsequent EAS in
Brunei Darussalam.
"For
these two summits, yes, China will overshadow the United States. But it's too
early to say Washington's influence in the region has been undermined by Obama's
absence," he said.
Rizal
also said that Obama's cancelled Asia trip would reinforce questions over U.S.
policy to rebalance its focus from the Middle East toward the Asia Pacific.
"Obama
is ready and able to maintain the policy. But the global situation, the budget
issues in the United States, as well as its domestic political challenges,
lessen its capacity to do so," Sukma said.
Meanwhile,
ChairulTanjung, deputy
chairman of APEC's organizing committee, said that security arrangements for
the leaders attending APEC would remain tight, despite the absence of the U.S.
president.
Protests
Continue Despite Obama's Cancellation
Hard-line
Islamic group HizbutTahrir
Indonesia (HTI) said that they were grateful President
Obama canceled his plans to attend APEC, but that they would protest
nonetheless.
"Obama
is the mastermind of genocide against Muslims in some Islamic countries,"
said Muhammad Adam, a member of HTI's central board. "The
United States also funds Israeli weapons purchases, which are used to kill
Muslims in Palestine. The United States also intervened in the Syria conflict,
which has led to a deadlock."
Posted By Worldmeets.US
Some
300 HTI activists rallied against APEC and Obama on JalanDiponegoro in Bandung on
Friday morning. Their banners read, "Reject APEC, Reject neoimperialism," and "Reject Obama, the Terrorist
President."
"We
know that economic liberalization and opening all sectors to foreign investment
will lead to fringe control of third-world countries, and will benefit the U.S.
and China," said LuthfiAfandi,
a spokesman for HTI West Java.
He
said that APEC has already strengthened trade liberalization, which brought
suffering to Indonesian people.
"Trade
liberalization destroys local potential," said Arinnashim,
an HTI central board member.
Economist
RulliIndrawan said Obama's
visit and APEC policies were irrelevant to Indonesia's economic problems.
"They're
because of our own weaknesses," he told the Jakarta Globe. "So rejecting Obama is not a solution."
