Obama In Japan And Vietnam

Obama’s in Vietnam and Japan. The G7, Hiroshima and his pivot to Asia are all on the table. We look at the big picture. Plus, President Obama's visit to Hiroshima.

President Obama is making changes in Asia this week. In Vietnam, lifting an American arms embargo in place for half a century. Eyeing a more aggressive China, the U.S. will now sell lethal arms to Vietnam for the first time since the Vietnam War. In Japan, Obama will be the first U.S. president to visit Hiroshima since the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb there in 1945. And then there’s the G7 meeting, the TPP. This hour On Point, all about Obama in Asia.
-- Tom Ashbrook

David Nakamura, White House reporter for the Washington Post. (@DavidNakamura)

Stephen Brooks, professor of government at Dartmouth College. Co-author, with William Wohlforth, of the forthcoming book, "America Abroad: The United States' Global Role in the 21st Century."

Shelia Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relation, focusing on Japan Studies, regional security and international relations of the Asia-Pacific region. Author of "Intimate Rivals" and "Japans's New Politics and the U.S. - Japan Alliance." (@sheilasmithcfr)

Washington Post: In historic move, U.S. lifts embargo on arms sales to Vietnam — "The Obama administration announced Monday that the United States would fully lift a longstanding U.S. embargo on lethal arms sales to Vietnam, a decision that reflects growing concerns about China’s military clout and illustrates the warming bilateral ties between the former enemy nations."

Foreign Affairs: The Once and Future Superpower -- "After two and a half decades, is the United States’ run as the world’s sole superpower coming to an end? Many say yes, seeing a rising China ready to catch up to or even surpass the United States in the near future. By many measures, after all, China’s economy is on track to become the world’s biggest, and even if its growth slows, it will still outpace that of the United States for many years."

Council on Foreign Relations: For Japan, a G7 to Remember — "Japan has other pressing security concerns in Asia that it would like to see reflected in a G7 joint statement. Chinese behavior in the South China Sea, and its broader maritime ambitions, will be discussed, as will be North Korea’s nuclear provocations. UN Security Council Resolution 2270, adopted in March this year, requires all nations to double down on sanctions against Pyongyang, and the prospect of additional measures taken independently by G7 nations is likely to be raised.

Alexis Dudden, professor of history at the University of Connecticut, where she specializes in modern Japanese and Korean history. Author, "Troubled Apologizes Among Japan, Korea and the United States."

The Wall Street Journal: Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings Welcome Obama Visit — "Survivors of the U.S. nuclear attacks on Japan in 1945 said they approve of U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to visit Hiroshima later this month, expressing hope that it will help curb nuclear proliferation."