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FACTBOX-Quotes on Asia from Obama interview with Reuters
12 Nov 2009 06:01:11 GMT
 Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, who leaves on Thursday for a trip to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, has put the economy, jobs and America's yawning trade deficit with Beijing at the top of his agenda.

In an interview with Reuters, Obama warned of "enormous strains" on relations between the world's two most powerful nations if imbalances were not corrected.

Obama said he would talk to the Chinese about revaluing their currency, the yuan, as well as about encouraging Chinese consumers to spend more and about opening Chinese markets further to U.S. manufacturing goods. It is a jobs agenda, he said.

Here are some quotes from the interview on those and other issues:

CHINA CURRENCY

"Tim Geithner, my Treasury Secretary, has been talking extensively to his counterpart, not only about currency issues but the whole array of factors that have contributed to these imbalances. That broader conversation will be at the center of our conversations with the Chinese delegation."

"Currency, along with a host of other issues, will come up, and I'm confident that both the United States and China can arrive at a broad set of policies that encourages trade that benefits both countries, that allows ongoing economic growth."

"It is particularly important for us when it comes to Asia as a whole to recognize that in the absence of a more robust export strategy it is going to be hard for us to rebuild our manufacturing base and employment base in this country."

"They (China) have a huge amount of U.S. dollars that they are holding, so our success is important to them. The flipside of that is that if we don't solve some of these problems, then I think both economically and politically it will put enormous strains on the relationship."

CHINA TRADE

"I see China as a vital partner, as well as a competitor. The key is for us to make sure that that competition is friendly and it is competition for customers, markets; it is within the bounds of well-defined international rules of the road that China and the United States are party to."

"It is very hard to see how we succeed or China succeeds in our respective goals, without working together."

"Our manufacturers, I think, would have legitimate concerns about our ability to sell into China."

CHINA RIGHTS

"We believe in the values of freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, that are not just core American values but we believe are universal values. And there has not been a meeting with the Chinese delegation in which we did not bring these issues up. That will continue."

CLIMATE

"After eight years in which there was resistance to even acknowledging the problem, I think my administration has been very clear that we intend to be a leader on this issue internationally.

"If I am confident that all of the countries involved are bargaining in good faith and we are on the brink of a meaningful agreement and my presence in Copenhagen will make a difference in tipping us over the edge, then certainly that's something that I will do."

IRAN

"It is going to take time and part of the challenge that we face is that neither North Korea nor Iran seem to be settled enough politically to make quick decisions on these issues."

AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY

"My obligation, my solemn obligation as commander-in-chief is to get this right and then I worry about people's perceptions later."

NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION

"I would strongly argue that we have made more progress on this issue over the last several months than we have seen in the last several years." (Reporting by Ross Colvin, editing by Jackie Frank)


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Last updated:Thu Nov 12 06:03:47 2009