Obama is pulling out all the eastern stops, with Clinton off to China, Holbrooke touring Central Asia and Mitchell hard at work in the Middle East, notes Anayat Durrani United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is preparing to embark on her first trip overseas in her new role as America's top diplomat. Clinton will head to Asia, stopping in China, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea starting on 15 February. As first lady and senator, Secretary Clinton visited over 80 countries and enjoys international popularity. After almost becoming America's first female president, her first trip abroad is expected to generate wide interest and attention, more for her celebrity than for any foreign policy breakthroughs. At the same time, her international visits intend to promote the Obama administration's theme of restoring the image of America abroad. Vice-President Joe Biden visited Europe earlier this month and was received warmly when he declared, "It's time to press the reset button". Biden told European allies that the US will call on them for greater participation and emphasised agreement and cooperation among the global community. Clinton is expected to express much the same sentiment, and has said that "America cannot solve the world's most pressing problems" alone, adding that it needs the help of its friends and allies. The Obama administration is about using what Clinton calls "smart power" -- what others usually call "soft power" -- with diplomacy at the forefront of foreign policy. Hillary Clinton told the New York Times that she has often said, and President Barack Obama has "reaffirmed", that they must "make diplomacy and development at the centre of our foreign policy and national security". The secretary will visit Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, where President Obama spent part of his childhood and end her Asia trip in China. Clinton told reporters at the State Department that she plans to pursue a comprehensive dialogue with China, one of the fastest-growing economies. Spokesman Robert Wood said, "the secretary felt that going to Asia would send a tremendous signal to Asia and others in the world of the importance of Asia, particularly to our foreign policy agenda," he said. Another focus on this trip will be how to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, which involves six nations -- North and South Korea, Japan, China, the US and Russia. US nuclear envoy to North Korea Christopher Hill will accompany her on the trip. The Bush administration used heads of the State Department's East Asian Affairs Bureau to negotiate with North Korea. Clinton's naming of a special envoy focussing on nuclear talks would allow more opportunity for the assistant secretary of state for East Asia to address other important issues of the region. Harvard professor Kurt Campbell was named assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific. "I do believe, in general, in the utility of special envoys. I have seen the importance of zeroing in with all tools at our disposal on problems from the Irish troubles to the Balkans, and I knew that the use of special envoys can be very helpful," Clinton said. And, while the first foreign trip a new secretary of state makes is usually to Europe or the Middle East, Secretary Clinton is expected to make her second visit to the Middle East. Europe will just have to wait. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains the Obama administration's most pressing issue. Clinton said she wants to make clear "to all parties who are concerned about the fate of children on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides that the United States is engaged, determined and committed to working with all who will work in good faith to solve the problems that are obviously afflicting that region." She called Mitchell's trip "the first of what will be an ongoing high level of engagement" by their administration. Although she will send Mitchell back to the region before the end of the month, she emphasised that their conditions regarding Hamas have not changed from the Bush administration. Following a meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Clinton said, "Our conditions respecting Hamas are very clear: We will not in any way negotiate with or recognise Hamas until they renounce violence, recognise Israel, and agree to abide by, as the foreign minister said, the prior agreements entered into by the PLO and the Palestinian Authority." In other words, "No!" Middle East envoy George Mitchell said he told Clinton she should travel to the region soon. Mitchell said all of the leaders he had met with were expecting a visit from the new secretary soon.
