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President Obama in Asia: will midterm losses affect trade, security abroad?
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Nov 10, 2014
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President Obama in Asia: will midterm losses affect trade, security abroad?
President Obama is in Asia this week, flexing his political muscles abroad after a midterm beat down back home.
President Obama arrives at the Beijing airport Monday. Speaking at the APEC summit, the president unveiled a new deal to ease visa restrictions between the U.S. and China.
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President Obama is in Asia this week, flexing his political muscles abroad after a midterm beat down back home.

President Obama is in Asia this week, flexing his political muscles abroad after a midterm defeats back home.

Today he's in China as part of what his administration calls a "pivot" in foreign policy focus. Obama is also scheduled to visit Myanmar, the country also known as Burma, and Australia on the trip.

But with just two years of his term remaining and an ongoing fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria there are questions about whether President Obama has the time or clout to follow through with his plans for the region.

For more we're joined by Ely Ratner, Deputy Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.