U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Malaysia, and the Philippines in April, the White House said Wednesday, in order to "increase U.S. diplomatic, economic, and security engagement" in the Asia-Pacific region. White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement that Obama will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe "to highlight the historic steps the United States and Japan are taking to modernize our 54-year alliance, deepen our economic ties, including through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and expand our cooperation on a range of diplomatic challenges in Asia and globally." While in South Korea, the president will meet with President Park Geun-hye to reaffirm the countries' bilateral relationship, review the situation with North Korea, and efforts to promote denuclearization, Carney said. According to the spokesman, in Malaysia, Obama will meet with Prime Minister Najib Razak "to showcase the substantial progress made in deepening our diplomatic, economic, and defense ties with such an important partner in Southeast Asia." "The President will then travel to the Philippines, the fifth Asian treaty ally he will have visited during his presidency. He will meet with President (Benigno) Aquino to highlight our economic and security cooperation, including through the modernization of our defense alliance, efforts to expand economic ties and spark economic growth through the Partnership for Growth, and through our deep and enduring people-to-people ties," Carney said.
