Resident Scholar  Michael Auslin

If one thinks that the incumbent Bush administration had too much on its foreign policy plate, whoever moves into the White House in January 2009 will have more international challenges to deal with than any president since the end of the Cold War. On top of successfully concluding the war in Iraq and stabilizing Afghanistan, the next president will need to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions, the fallout of Russia's invasion of Georgia, and a fragile Pakistan, among other difficult problems.

A host of pressing Asian issues will also confront the new administration. The president and his top advisers must decide if it is worth it to try and get negotiations with Kim Jong Il back on track. Backsliding by North Korea in recent weeks calls into question any "agreement" that may be reached. Senator Barack Obama has said he will try to create a "more effective framework" in Asia than the six-party talks--a laudable goal, but one short on any specifics. Senator John McCain, on the other hand, champions a "united front" with America's allies to demand verification of agreements already reached. Whatever the approach, only true optimists can believe that North Korea is doing anything but running out the clock.

The next president will also have to deal with a far more confident and assertive China than eight years ago. Nearly a decade of uninterrupted economic growth has been accompanied by a major military buildup. Recently, during its successful Olympics, Beijing has been a media darling, and compared to Moscow, it seems a more responsible actor on the world stage. But Beijing continues to build high-end offensive weapons systems, maintains its tight grip on Tibet, refuses to draw down its military threat to Taiwan, and avoids compromise on maritime border issues linked to valuable natural resources.

Beyond balancing against the security threat from North Korea and China, the next president must reassure America's democratic allies in the region--including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan--that Washington will not abandon them to an ever more influential China or seek to accommodate China at the expense of democratic movements. He must forcefully reassert America's interest in supporting liberalism, free trade, and regional stability--and back those words up with closer relations with our allies and a clear understanding with China about the depth of our commitment.

Asia has been a success story in recent decades, with high economic growth and strong democratic movements in many nations. Yet threats remain, and America must continue to play a strong, engaged role, just as it has for sixty years, to help ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for the world's most dynamic region.

Michael Auslin is a resident scholar at AEI.