OUR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT:

From the Philippines to Vietnam, Malaysia and Laos, Mr. Obama has strengthened US ties with the smaller countries in the region that are feeling the pressure of Beijing's rise as an economic and military great power.

In some cases, most notably those of Burma and Laos, Obama has been instrumental in "flipping" once-closed and China-dependent countries to closer ties with the US and the rest of the world, many Asia experts say.

When historians "look closely at the so-called rebalance or pivot ... the most significant legacy for the president is going to be engagement of Southeast Asia," says Michael Green, senior vice president for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Security Studies (CSIS) in Washington.

Ties with China have deteriorated since South Korea announced that it intends to deploy the US Army's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to defend against North Korean's ballistic missile threat. Despite assurances to the contrary, China sees THAAD as a threat to its own defenses and has retaliated through a number of small-scale actions, such as increasing paperwork for South Korean tourists.

"South Korea is learning that China always demands its pound of flesh and Seoul is not entirely comfortable with the way in which Beijing is taking on the role of regional hegemon," Okumura told DW.

Forging better ties with Japan, as well as the United States, which has acted as a protector ever since the days of the 1950-'53 Korean War, is the obvious solution, Okumura added.

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