Every foreign tour by a head of state is a carefully sculpted and scripted affair. Every mark is measured in advance, every backdrop screened, every word weighed. Success is expected and the message carefully massaged so that there is rarely an alternative interpretation available.
Even by that admittedly low standard, U.S. President Barack Obama's nine-day Asia tour in November should be regarded as a success. Mr. Obama's tour served as a signal to the nations of the region — and the U.S. public — that their futures are deeply intertwined, that the United States will stay engaged, and that the belief that the U.S. is a declining power is wrong. It is a reassuring message for U.S. friends and partners.
In fact, Mr. Obama's Asian sojourn began in Hawaii, when he hosted heads of state for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting. While there are opinions that differ with the president over the value of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Mr. Obama's commitment to regional economic integration and the construction of mechanisms to build capacity and reinforce the rule of law in the Asia Pacific should be appreciated.