Transcript
TED PICCONE: As you know, Hillary Clinton will depart on February 15th for her first trip abroad as Secretary of State. She will visit South Korea, Japan, China, and Indonesia; and breaking with the norm established by former Secretaries of State, it's interesting that she's taking her first visit to Asia, which I think says something about the rise of Asia as a key player in global affairs and the focus that the Obama administration places on U.S. relations with Asia. I imagine topics of discussion will include, of course, North Korea and the global financial crisis and climate change. . . .
. . .In my own experience in traveling with Secretary Clinton when she was First Lady, I can imagine that she will be extremely well prepared. She will be in a listening mode, and she will be very interested in a comprehensive set of issues -- certainly the security issues but also issues of human development and of course economic relations. And I think the trip is particularly important as much for what it will say, the messages it will send to our friends in Asia, but also for the message that will sent back home, especially regarding China and China's rise at this particular moment of great economic turmoil.
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