Passing the US by

This coming Monday, 16 leaders of Asian countries, including China, Japan, India, and Australian will hold the first Asia-wide summit. The meeting is notable because the traditional big boy on the block, America, was not invited.

Seems like they believe the American eagle may be starting to fade.

“...the potential of these summits still poses a challenge to the US. They send a signal that America's Asian allies may no longer rely on it to be the regional broker and benign, big influence. The Bush administration, preoccupied with Iraq, has had a short attention span with Asia. It often avoids chances to boost ties, and focuses more on China's emerging military than its subtle diplomacy. This summit, even though more form than substance, may fill a vacuum left by Washington's neglect.”
Posted on The Human Stain