Editorial: Changing relationships in Asia

President Barack Obama’s trip to Asia, beginning with a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Singapore, will set a new record for foreign travel in the first year of a presidency — nine trips and 20 countries. It is also something of a listening and learning trip rather than one from which he can return with a few signed agreements as trophies.

Presidential aides like to arrange for treaties to be signed or agreements to be reached on presidential trips so the president can seem to return triumphant. No such agreements are on tap for this trip, but several sticky issues will present themselves.

At the APEC meeting, all concerned will proclaim their undying devotion to free trade and open markets, then return home to put in place a few more protectionist measures. Subsequent visits to China, Japan and South Korea will feature more testiness than harmony. Despite the protectionist cheerleading from unions, ours is a part of the country that would benefit from open trade, not only because of the Midwest’s industrial heritage but also because of this part of the country’s agricultural output.

The U.S.-Japanese relationship is especially unsettled. Since World War II, Japan has been essentially a U.S. protectorate, with the U.S. maintaining extensive military bases in Japan and Okinawa and handling Japanese defense policy. But the victory in August by the Japan Democratic Party after more than 50 years of one-party Liberal Democratic Party rule brings to power politicians determined to rework the relationship.

Japan Democratic Party leaders already have suggested they would like to move a Marine airbase off Okinawa, and have ended an eight-year policy of using Japanese ships to refuel U.S. vessels in the Indian Ocean. The move toward greater independence from the U.S. has significant popular support. Obama will have to handle the changing relationship delicately.

Meanwhile, China has been beefing up its military potential and regional influence — and hinting that it won’t act as America’s deficit enabler by buying U.S. government debt forever.

Obama may come back with a bit more knowledge about how complex Asian-Pacific relationships are, but he’s not likely to return from his current trip with much else.