Obama to visit Asia

WASHINGTON  - The White House on Friday announced President Barack Obama will visit Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines from Oct 6-12.

According to the White House, Obama's visit is "part of his ongoing commitment to increase US political, economic and security engagement with the Asia Pacific."

Obama will also attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' meeting in Indonesia. On the margins of the APEC meeting, he will host a meeting of Leaders of the Trans- Pacific Partnership countries. During his stay in Indonesia, Obama will also meet with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

In Brunei, Obama will attend the US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS) and meet with the Sultan of Brunei. During those meetings the US president will discuss "the wide range of US cooperation in the Asia Pacific region, including energy, maritime security, investment, development and trade promotion, as well as other topics of regional and global concern," said the White House.

In Malaysia, Obama will meet with Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia. He will also deliver the keynote address to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, an initiative announced by Obama in 2009 to spur job creation through entrepreneurship by connecting young innovators to resources, ideas, and each other.

In the Philippines, Obama will meet with President Benigno Aquino to "reaffirm the strong economic, people-to-people, and security links" between the two countries, said the White House.

Obama has made the rebalancing of US strategic priorities to the Asia Pacific a theme of his foreign policy.