Obama talks trade, battles weakened image

BEIJING — On his first day of a weeklong Asia trip, President Barack Obama was multitasking Monday: He sought to counter perceptions that he’s a weakened leader, tried to dispel claims that he seeks to “contain” China and yet obliquely criticized Beijing’s human rights record and trade policies.

Obama, speaking to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, announced an agreement to make it easier for Chinese and U.S. citizens to travel between their countries. He praised President Xi Jinping for helping to broker the new visa policy, which he said would facilitate business, education and tourism on both sides of the Pacific.

Yet he also noted several economic challenges the Pacific Rim faces, including widespread corruption and the discrimination women confront in starting businesses in male-dominated societies. While he didn’t mention China by name, some of his comments were clearly aimed toward APEC’s host country this year.

“Steady, sustainable growth requires promoting policies and practices that keep the Internet open and accessible,” Obama said. “Steady, sustainable growth requires a planet where people can breathe clean air and drink clean water and eat safe food.”

Obama is meeting with some of the 20 Pacific Rim leaders who are attending the annual Asia-Pacific summit in Beijing. APEC nations make up roughly 57 percent of the global economy, including the three largest economies: the United States, China and Japan. By traveling here, Obama is again trying to make the case that the United States’ future is tied to the prosperity of Asia.

As part of that pitch, he’s touting the improvement of the U.S. economy. The narrative is that the United States is a more dependable source of investment and a better place to invest than China, which is seeking to restructure its economy and accept slower growth as a consequence.

At the same time, Obama is trying to persuade Asia that he remains focused on the region despite foreign policy crises in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine that have consumed his attention. A year ago, he missed the APEC summit in Bali because of the budget stalemate in Washington, causing some in Asia to question his commitment.