• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Douglas H. Paal"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Carnegie China"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "China’s Foreign Relations",
    "U.S.-China Relations"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "asia",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "AP",
  "programs": [
    "Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "East Asia",
    "Southeast Asia",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Policy",
    "Economy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

Will Obama's Absence from APEC Impact U.S. Global Interests?

Obama’s absence from the APEC meeting is a disappointment for U.S. partners in Asia, but Washington can recover its credibility in the region by rescheduling meetings and pushing forward on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Link Copied
By Douglas H. Paal
Published on Oct 10, 2013

Source: PBS NewsHour

Carnegie’s Douglas Paal spoke on PBS’ NewsHour to discuss how Obama's absence from the APEC meetings in Bali will impact U.S. interests in the region. Paal noted that Obama’s absence does represent an erosion of U.S. support for its Asian partners. Furthermore, given foreign policy issues like chemical weapons in Syria, there is some skepticism among Asian leaders as to whether the Obama administration remains fully committed to the rebalance toward Asia. However, Paal also suggested that Washington can recover its credibility in the region by rapidly rescheduling missed meetings and pushing forward on key initiatives, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. 

This interview originally aired on the PBS Newshour.

About the Author

Douglas H. Paal

Distinguished Fellow, Asia Program

Paal previously served as vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase International and as unofficial U.S. representative to Taiwan as director of the American Institute in Taiwan.

    Recent Work

  • Paper
    America’s Future in a Dynamic Asia

      Douglas H. Paal

  • Q&A
    U.S.-China Relations at the Forty-Year Mark
      • +1

      Douglas H. Paal, Tong Zhao, Chen Qi, …

Douglas H. Paal
Distinguished Fellow, Asia Program
Douglas H. Paal
Foreign PolicyEconomyNorth AmericaUnited StatesEast AsiaSoutheast AsiaRussia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    The Kremlin Can No Longer Postpone Hard Economic Decisions

    Depleted financial reserves and a shrinking tax base mean it is no longer possible to simultaneously deliver high defense spending, price stability, and economic growth.

      Alexandra Prokopenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Animal Tested by Leonid Bershidsky: A Utopian Novel for the Instagram Age

    Blurring the line between humans and animals is a long-standing tradition in social utopian prose. In his latest novel, Leonid Bershidsky reminds us that in social experiments, people are often treated no differently than animals.

      Alexander Baunov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russia and the West Want Different Things From Telegram’s Durov

    While France and Australia are seeking to establish the legal obligations of messaging apps like Telegram, Russia wants total subordination.

      Maria Kolomychenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russia’s Orthodox Church Rewrites Rules for Venerating Saints to Help the Kremlin

    The recent uncovering of Dmitry Donskoy’s relics in the Cathedral of the Archangel is yet another attempt by the Russian Orthodox Church to help the state solve its problems. However, parroting the state’s version of Russian history leaves the Church with no message except “patriotism.”

      Alexander Zanemonets

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    As It Turns 25, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Reflects the New World Order

    With the growth in points of friction between the great powers, organizations like the SCO will continue to play a role in the strategic adaptation of the smaller powers caught between them.

      Temur Umarov

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.