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President Barack Obama's current trip to Asia comes amid the growing ascension of various squabbles in the region. According to Yahoo News, Obama's itinerary includes visits to several Asian countries, including Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. The president's visits are taking place at a time when tensions are high. This is certainly the case with theSenkaku Islands, which are currently the subject of an acrimonious ownership dispute between China and Japan.

Obama shows fealty to Japan
"We don't take a position on final sovereignty" over the islands, said Obama, as quoted by The New York Times, "But historically, they have been administered by Japan, and we do not believe they should be subject to change unilaterally."

The president's words reflects America's allegiance to Japan, bound by a defense treaty to protect the Asian nation's ownership of the island. Many view U.S. foreign policy as having a pivotal role in Asia, especially for the purposes of quelling nationalistic squabbles.

"This is a very important turning point for the United States-Japan alliance because it means the period of drift under President Obama has finally come to an end," said Yuichi Hosoya, an expert on American-Japanese relations at Keio University in Tokyo, according to The New York Times. "The fact that this was said by the president will have a huge psychological impact on Japanese officials and people."

This suggests Obama's trips is founded on significantly increasing solidarity between Japan and the U.S., and more broadly, with all of America's Asian allies.

Obama shows solidarity with South Korea
"Obviously we come here at a time when there has been provocative language from North Korea, and it's important for us to show complete solidarity with our ally, the Republic of Korea, in standing up to those provocations," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, as quoted by Yahoo News.

This comment suggests the administration's commitment to defending South Korea, should North Korea increase aggressive stances against its southern neighbor. The president's visit also comes amid tragedy, as a South Korean ferry sunk just a week before Obama's  visit.

In his trip to South Korea, the president spoke of what many see as the deep loyalty held between the U.S. and the Korean democracy.

"Our solidarity is bolstered by the courage of our service members, both Korean and American, who safeguard this nation," noted Obama while in South Korea, as quoted by Yahoo News.

U.S. soldiers who returned to civilian life after military tenure in the Korean War may have appreciated the president's  comments, reflecting the shared historical bond South Korea and the U.S. share. South Korea is increasingly worried about the nuclear ambitions of North Korea. Therefore, the stakes of the president's visit are quite high, as reflected in the rousing speeches he made while in South Korea.

The volatile climate suggests the intense level of statesmanship necessary to be a U.S. president, balancing the numerous conflicting issues to maintain a suitable balance of power, though only the future will tell what the outcomes will be.