HONOLULU (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Hawaii, where she is meeting top brass from the U.S. Pacific Command and Japan’s foreign minister to discuss regional security issues dominated by an increasingly assertive China.
Clinton arrived in Honolulu on Wednesday at the start of a seven-nation trip to Asia that is aimed at cementing ties with some of China’s nervous neighbors. It’s part of the Obama administration’s efforts to counter Beijing’s growing clout in a region where America has traditionally been the dominant power.
Before leaving for Vietnam on Thursday, Clinton will see Japanese foreign minister Seiji Maehara and U.S. Pacific Command chief Adm. Robert Willard, and deliver a speech on America’s leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region.
