Bali, Indonesia:
President Obama discussed maritime security, nuclear non-proliferation and disaster aid at an Asian summit on Friday, but just his presence on this resort island telegraphed his main message: that the United States is turning its focus to the booming Asia-Pacific region after a decade of preoccupation with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Calling the region critical to economic growth and national security, Mr. Obama said, "I want everyone to know from the outset, my administration is committed to strengthening our ties with each country individually but also with the region's institutions."
The president spoke at the opening of the annual meeting of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Before that session he met separately with the leaders of India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. On Saturday, Mr. Obama will become the first American president to participate at the larger East Asia Summit before he returns to Washington after eight days of Pacific Rim diplomacy.
The summit on Friday was eclipsed by news of a diplomatic opening between the United States and Myanmar now that its military dictators have loosened their chokehold on freedoms there. Mr. Obama announced on the summit's sidelines that he is sending Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Myanmar, also known as Burma, to test its rulers' sincerity about democratic reforms and human rights.
With the break in tension between the United States and Myanmar, Mr. Obama was able to concentrate on convincing the other Asian nations that his administration is committed to engaging more with the region on economic and national security issues. The countries along the South China Sea have been especially eager for the United States to increase its presence in the region as a check on China's ambitions.
Mr. Obama also delivered that message last weekend at the separate Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation free trade forum in Hawaii, which he hosted. But he would not have been persuasive had he not attended Friday's summit here in Asia. And up to the time of his departure from Washington, there was speculation that Mr. Obama would skip the Indonesia trip, given the political risks of being away from the United States during a time of high unemployment.
Against that backdrop, Mr. Obama has sought throughout his travels from Hawaii to Australia and Indonesia to describe his trip in terms of its potential to create American jobs by expanding exports.
To that end, separate from the summit, Mr. Obama started his day by attending a signing ceremony at which representatives of Boeing and Lion Air, Indonesia's largest private airline, signed a deal for Lion Air to buy 230 aircraft, an agreement worth $22 billion to Boeing at current list prices.
Mr. Obama said the deal was "a remarkable example of the trade investment and commercial opportunities that exist in the Asia-Pacific region."
"I've been talking about how we have to make sure that we've got a presence in this region, that it can result directly in jobs at home," he said.
Mr. Obama said his administration and the United States Export-Import Bank "were critical in facilitating this deal," which he estimated would result in more than 100,000 American jobs over a period of years. Boeing's chief executive, Jim McNerney, is the head of Mr. Obama's council of advisers on export promotion, but he was not among the company's executives at the announcement.
Domestic politics also had a bit role in Mr. Obama's one-on-one meetings with Asian leaders, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, the host of the summit. In remarks at his separate sessions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and the president of the Philippines, Begnino S. Aquino III, Mr. Obama praised the contributions of Indian-Americans and Filipino-Americans to the United States.
Mr. Obama and Mr. Singh, the leaders of the world's two most populous democracies, reported that they had made progress on an array of issues, including trade, investment, education exchanges, clean energy development and defence matters.
"I'm very happy to report to you that there are today no irritants whatsoever in our working together on a multiplicity of areas," Mr. Singh said to reporters.
Turning to Mr. Obama, he called it "a privilege" to have the administration so "deeply invested in ensuring that India makes a success of its historic journey" to establish a more open and democratic society. He added that cooperation on civil nuclear programs, disaster response and maritime security "unite us in our quest of a world free from the threat of war, want and exploitation."
In Mr. Obama's meeting with Mr. Aquino, he commended the Filipino president "for his leadership, for his reform efforts." Mr. Aquino, in turn, said, "We look forward, in these turbulent times of ours, to really further strengthen our relationship."
Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia spoke to a priority of Mr. Obama's, saying, "We're working with you in the area of nuclear non-proliferation. We're doing our part to make sure that Malaysia is not a transit point for illicit goods that can be used for nuclear proliferation."