SYDNEY — There was excitement throughout Asia last month when Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton chose the continent for her maiden international voyage in her capacity as America's top diplomat, bypassing the more traditional choices of Europe or the Middle East.
This showed good thinking on the part of the new administration. Global economic power continues to shift to Asia, despite the current global crisis. But leaving India out signaled a lack of forward thinking and, in doing so, the Obama administration missed an exceptional opportunity. The choice of destinations for the inaugural visit by Clinton was not decided lightly. It indicated the administration's priorities.
For some, Clinton's schedule appeared flawless. A visit to China is mandatory in any Asia schedule. Key allies such as Japan and South Korea were duly included. Indonesia — the world's most populous Islamic country, a bustling democracy, a re-emerging Southeast Asian power and President Barack Obama's home for four of his formative years — was a clever choice. But a visit to India — the world's largest democracy and one of the emerging poles of political and economic power — would have made for an inspired choice.