President Obama
and First Lady Obama arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday night. Through Sunday evening, the President will lead the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meetings as well as hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines. Mrs. Obama has her own schedule of events. (Above: The President and Mrs. Obama arriving in Hawaii on Friday night)Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and US Trade Representative Ron Kirk arrived in Honolulu earlier this week, at the start of the US-hosted meeting.
On Saturday, at 8:40 AM, President Obama begins the day by hosting a meeting of 9 Pacific Rim countries, including the US, seeking to hash out the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that the Administration regards as a vehicle for "achieving economic integration across the Asia-Pacific region and advancing U.S. interests with some of the fastest-growing economies in the world," Ben Rhodes, White House Deputy National Security Adviser, told reporters during a briefing on Wednesday. The meeting will be at the Hale Koa Hotel i Honolulu.
The TPP would help meet the President's pledge to double US exports by 2015, and is now the centerpiece of the Administration's trade policy, after Congress in October approved Trade Agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama.
Next, at 10:05 AM, the President will attend the APEC CEO Business Summit at the Sheraton Hotel in Honolulu, where he will address business leaders from the Pacific Rim and engage in discussions with, among others, Jim McNerney, chief executive officer of Boeing Corporation, Rhodes said. Executives from General Electric, Time Warner Cable, and Caterpillar are also attending. Sec. Clinton will also address the meeting.
After the summit, the President Obama, accompanied by Sec. Clinton, will have separate bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan (12:00 PM), Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (1:45 PM) and Chinese President Hu Jintao (3:15 PM). It will be Mr. Obama's first meeting with Hu since his State Visit to the White House in January of this year. The meetings will be at the Hale Koa Hotel.
Rhodes said that issues under discussion will be completing the steps needed for Russia to enter the World Trade Organization, China's currency valuation, regional security issues, and U.S. efforts to "sustain global growth through a rebalancing of global demand."
On Saturday evening, beginning at 6:20 PM, the President and Mrs. Obama will host a dinner, reception and cultural performances at the Hale Koa Hotel. In attendance will be APEC Leaders and their spouses, and other guests.
On Sunday, the APEC Heads of State meeting will take place at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani at Ko Olina. President Obama will make opening comments before the morning session that will focus on job creation, according to Rhodes.
At 11:30 AM, the Leaders will have a dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council, followed by a working lunch at 12:45 PM. That will be followed by the "family photo" of the APEC Leaders.
In the evening, President Obama was scheduledto attend the North American Leaders Summit, with President Felipe Calderón of Mexico and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada. The focus was to be on how the three nations can work together within the context of the APEC region on job growth and job creation to remain competitive, Rhodes said. But Calderón has now canceled his trip to APEC, due to a helicopter crash that killed his Interior Minister and seven other government officials.
The President will hold a news conference on Sunday evening.
On Monday, President Obama will attend a campaign fundraiser at the Disney Aulani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina.
"It's an opportunity for him to engage supporters in Hawaii, which is obviously a place where he has a lot of backing and a lot of roots," Rhodes said.
President Obama was born in Honolulu. The President departs Hawaii on Tuesday, traveling to Australia and then to Indonesia. He will make two stops in each country.
*Photo by AP/Pool. Updated.
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