Change and Continuity in America’s Asia Pivot: US Engagement with Multilateralism in the Asia Pacific

When Barack Obama became the president of the United States, he issued a number of key declarations, oft reiterated since, that sought to define his foreign policy and presumably set it apart from those of his predecessors. For example, in an address to a Tokyo audience in November 2009, President Obama referred to himself as “America’s first Pacific President,” promising his listeners that the United States would “strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world.”

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Second, he noted in that same speech that the United States, under his leadership, would actively support and participate in multilateral diplomacy:

In addition to our bilateral relations, we also believe that the growth of multilateral organizations can advance the security and prosperity of this region. I know that the United States has been disengaged from many of these organizations in recent years. So let me be clear: Those days have passed. As a [

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] Asia Pacific nation, the United States expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region, and to participate fully in appropriate organizations as they are established and evolve.

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