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| Obama’s Absence Leaves China as Dominant Force at Asia-Pacific Meeting | Obama’s Absence Leaves China as Dominant Force at Asia-Pacific Meeting |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| NUSA DUA, Indonesia — Secretary of State John Kerry replaced President Obama at the opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting on Monday, leaving China’s president, Xi Jinping, as the dominant leader at a gathering devoted to achieving greater economic integration. | NUSA DUA, Indonesia — Secretary of State John Kerry replaced President Obama at the opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting on Monday, leaving China’s president, Xi Jinping, as the dominant leader at a gathering devoted to achieving greater economic integration. |
| Mr. Xi, the keynote speaker, delivered a long, tightly scripted speech that made no reference to Mr. Obama and concentrated on the theme of Chinese economic overhaul at home, and the need for China to have the Asia-Pacific region as a partner abroad. | Mr. Xi, the keynote speaker, delivered a long, tightly scripted speech that made no reference to Mr. Obama and concentrated on the theme of Chinese economic overhaul at home, and the need for China to have the Asia-Pacific region as a partner abroad. |
| “China cannot develop in isolation of the Asia-Pacific, and the Asia-Pacific cannot prosper without China,” Mr. Xi said. | “China cannot develop in isolation of the Asia-Pacific, and the Asia-Pacific cannot prosper without China,” Mr. Xi said. |
| The absence of Mr. Obama, who canceled to try to resolve the government shutdown in Washington, was repeatedly noted at the conference, held in this enclave of international resorts on the Indonesian island of Bali. But Mr. Kerry, for his part, made light of his role as the stand-in. | The absence of Mr. Obama, who canceled to try to resolve the government shutdown in Washington, was repeatedly noted at the conference, held in this enclave of international resorts on the Indonesian island of Bali. But Mr. Kerry, for his part, made light of his role as the stand-in. |
| “In 2004, obviously, I worked very, very hard to replace a president,” Mr. Kerry told his audience, referring to his unsuccessful campaign against President George W. Bush. “This is not what I had in mind.” | “In 2004, obviously, I worked very, very hard to replace a president,” Mr. Kerry told his audience, referring to his unsuccessful campaign against President George W. Bush. “This is not what I had in mind.” |
| According to data from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, known as APEC, its members — including the United States and China, Russia, Mexico, Canada and 16 other countries — account for about 40 percent of the world’s population, 55 percent of global gross domestic product and about 44 percent of world trade. Trade within APEC has grown nearly sevenfold since 1989, topping $11 trillion in 2011. | According to data from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, known as APEC, its members — including the United States and China, Russia, Mexico, Canada and 16 other countries — account for about 40 percent of the world’s population, 55 percent of global gross domestic product and about 44 percent of world trade. Trade within APEC has grown nearly sevenfold since 1989, topping $11 trillion in 2011. |
| But in his opening remarks to the APEC leaders, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia said that the grouping was more important than ever because its member economies continued to “feel the pain” of the global economic crisis. | But in his opening remarks to the APEC leaders, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia said that the grouping was more important than ever because its member economies continued to “feel the pain” of the global economic crisis. |
| “In view of the difficult global economic situation these days, it becomes even more critical for all of us to work together in maintaining regional resilience,” he said. “With this resilience, the APEC region will remain an important engine of global growth.” | “In view of the difficult global economic situation these days, it becomes even more critical for all of us to work together in maintaining regional resilience,” he said. “With this resilience, the APEC region will remain an important engine of global growth.” |
| A report released on Monday by the World Bank said that countries with developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific, some of which are members of the group, were expanding at a slower pace as China shifted from export-driven growth and focused on domestic demand. Growth in larger middle-income countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, is also softening because of lower investment and global commodity prices, as well as lower-than-expected export growth, the report said. | A report released on Monday by the World Bank said that countries with developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific, some of which are members of the group, were expanding at a slower pace as China shifted from export-driven growth and focused on domestic demand. Growth in larger middle-income countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, is also softening because of lower investment and global commodity prices, as well as lower-than-expected export growth, the report said. |
| Mr. Obama had planned to use personal persuasion to push forward negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade bloc that is led by the United States and that excludes China. | Mr. Obama had planned to use personal persuasion to push forward negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade bloc that is led by the United States and that excludes China. |
| The administration has set the end of the year as the goal to finish the complex negotiations that cover all economic sectors from intellectual property to agriculture to automobiles and aim to bring regional economic integration through trade and investment liberalization. | The administration has set the end of the year as the goal to finish the complex negotiations that cover all economic sectors from intellectual property to agriculture to automobiles and aim to bring regional economic integration through trade and investment liberalization. |
| The job of lobbying for the deadline was left to the United States trade representative, Michael Froman, who said in an interview that it was an “ambitious but doable” goal. The administration was hoping that President Park Geun-hye of South Korea would announce at the meeting that Seoul was ready to join the negotiations. But South Korean officials said Ms. Park would not make that declaration in Bali. | The job of lobbying for the deadline was left to the United States trade representative, Michael Froman, who said in an interview that it was an “ambitious but doable” goal. The administration was hoping that President Park Geun-hye of South Korea would announce at the meeting that Seoul was ready to join the negotiations. But South Korean officials said Ms. Park would not make that declaration in Bali. |
| The prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, put another damper on the trade pact, saying it was unlikely that his country would meet the American deadline. “We do have a few areas of great concern,” he said. | The prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, put another damper on the trade pact, saying it was unlikely that his country would meet the American deadline. “We do have a few areas of great concern,” he said. |
| The pact would be presented to the Malaysian Parliament for approval, he said, where members have complained that the opening of the economy demanded by the trade accord would have a negative impact. “The timetable was desirable that we try to conclude it by the end of the year, but is not cast in stone,” he said. | The pact would be presented to the Malaysian Parliament for approval, he said, where members have complained that the opening of the economy demanded by the trade accord would have a negative impact. “The timetable was desirable that we try to conclude it by the end of the year, but is not cast in stone,” he said. |
| Mr. Obama’s absence was particularly damaging to American interests here in Indonesia, where the growing economy has been bolstered by a stronger Chinese presence that until a few years ago was resisted, said John Kurtz, the head of the Asia Pacific region for A. T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm. | Mr. Obama’s absence was particularly damaging to American interests here in Indonesia, where the growing economy has been bolstered by a stronger Chinese presence that until a few years ago was resisted, said John Kurtz, the head of the Asia Pacific region for A. T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm. |
| Mr. Xi visited Indonesia last week and announced that China would open a $50 billion infrastructure bank to service the region. | Mr. Xi visited Indonesia last week and announced that China would open a $50 billion infrastructure bank to service the region. |
| “Indonesia’s ethnic Chinese business giants have drawn closer to China and have benefited greatly with that,” said Mr. Kurtz, an American who lives in Jakarta. “They have begun to reshape the views of the government.” | “Indonesia’s ethnic Chinese business giants have drawn closer to China and have benefited greatly with that,” said Mr. Kurtz, an American who lives in Jakarta. “They have begun to reshape the views of the government.” |
| Indonesian businessmen feel “China’s effective economic support was unmatched by the United States,” Mr. Kurtz said. “There is a feeling that soft power loses to hard currency most of the time.” | Indonesian businessmen feel “China’s effective economic support was unmatched by the United States,” Mr. Kurtz said. “There is a feeling that soft power loses to hard currency most of the time.” |
| Indeed some prominent Indonesians had joked after Mr. Obama decided not to attend that the United States was “playing checkers while the Chinese play chess,” he said. | Indeed some prominent Indonesians had joked after Mr. Obama decided not to attend that the United States was “playing checkers while the Chinese play chess,” he said. |
| But other leaders affirmed the regional importance of the United States. “No other country can replace the American engagement in Asia,” said the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, whose father, Lee Kuan Yew, specialized in balancing China and the United States when he was prime minister. “Not China, not Japan, not any other power. That is something which we continue and encourage at every opportunity.” | But other leaders affirmed the regional importance of the United States. “No other country can replace the American engagement in Asia,” said the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, whose father, Lee Kuan Yew, specialized in balancing China and the United States when he was prime minister. “Not China, not Japan, not any other power. That is something which we continue and encourage at every opportunity.” |