Obama cancels trip to Malaysia and Philippines because of shutdown

President Obama has had to cancel part of his trip to Asia next week in order to deal with the budget crisis in Washington. Obama was supposed to visit the Philippines and Malaysia, but will send Secretary of State John Kerry to both countries instead. President Obama is still planning on attending the APEC summit in Indonesia, which will allow Asian leaders to discuss economic concerns, as well as the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Brunei. President Obama has been emphasizing Asia’s importance as an economic force, and has paid close attention to China’s developments and growing tensions.

However, the White House has said that it will all depend on how things go back home. The official statement from the White House was as follows: “Due to the government shut-down, President Obama’s travel to Malaysia and the Philippines has been postponed. Logistically, it was not possible to go ahead with these trips in the face of a government shut-down. Because they are on the back end of the president’s upcoming trip, our personnel was not yet in place and we were not able to go forward with planning. Unlike the APEC and East Asia Summits, these trips can also be rescheduled, and President Obama looks forward to visiting Malaysia and the Philippines later in his term.”

President Obama called Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Tuesday to personally inform him of the change in plans. The White House commented: “The president reaffirmed our strong alliance with the Philippines and respect for President Aquino’s leadership, and committed to travel to the Philippines later in his term. He also noted our shared commitment to the security of the Philippines, and the broader security and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.”