ABOARD Air Force One – Barack Obama starts his last trip to Asia on Saturday as US president, aiming to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific but distracted by crises ranging from Brexit to the battle against Islamic State.
With the clock ticking down on his presidency, Mr Obama will attend a G20 summit in China, a visit that will underscore the challenges he has faced with a rising world power that is both an economic partner and strategic rival.
His final meetings in the region with Chinese President Xi Jinping could set the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office in January.
Mr Obama will seek to highlight his legacy of stronger ties with Southeast Asia, particularly during the first US presidential visit to Laos, and his success in elevating the issue of climate change on the world stage.
But there will be few bright spots in talks with fellow world leaders, who are grappling with the sagging global economy, fallout from Britain’s Brexit vote to leave the EU, increasing suspicion of globalisation, the fight against Islamic State militants and territorial disputes in East Asia.
During his past nine trips to Asia, Mr Obama has sometimes been distracted by other international developments from the emphasis he sought to place on boosting US military and economic ties to the fast-growing region, leading critics to doubt whether the US commitment will last.
