Peruvian president leaves Apec meeting in a huff over spy spat

November 15, 2009 10:28 am by Demetri Sevastopulo

By Edward Luce, FT Washington bureau chief, travelling with President Barack Obama in Singapore

Apec summits are normally remembered for the silly photo-ops of world leaders lined up in the local costumes supplied by the hosts. In Singapore’s case, this was a specially designed Peranakan-inspired blouse with a mandarin collar.

On Sunday, Mr Obama told his fellow leaders that he was “looking forward to seeing you all decked out in flowered shirts and grass skirts” in 2011 when he hosts an Apec summit in Honolulu.

But this year’s summit will also be recalled for a spying spat between Chile and Peru, which prompted Alan Garcia, Peru’s leader, to leave the summit early and fly home in a huff.

Mr Garcia’s very un-Asian tantrum followed the arrest on Saturday of a senior Peruvian air force officer on charges that he was a spy on Chile’s payroll. Read more

Posted in Asia, Foreign affairs, Obama, World affairs |

Obama has a brief Bush linguistic moment

November 14, 2009 11:24 am by Demetri Sevastopulo

By Mure Dickie, FT Japan bureau chief

Foreign travel is always a learning experience. The first Asia tour as US president for the usually hyper-capable Barack Obama is a good chance for him to master one important skill needed for diplomacy in the region: how to say the name of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Read more

Posted in Asia, China, Foreign affairs, Japan, Obama, US foreign policy, World affairs |

Rainbow president reveals his Pacific colours

November 14, 2009 6:21 am by Demetri Sevastopulo

By Edward Luce, FT Washington bureau chief, in Tokyo

One of the benefits of having a multiracial president is that he can identify with people all over the place. Barack Obama has that in endless dollops – the boy from Hawaii, who grew up in Indonesia and made Chicago his home. Read more

Posted in Foreign affairs |
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