This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 9, 2010 - When President Barack Obama made appearances in Indonesia on Tuesday to try to solidify U.S. political and trade relations with the world's most populous Muslim nation, U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo. -- normally a critic of the White House -- went out of his way to commend Obama for that stop on his Asia trip.
"I'm delighted he is going back finally" to Indonesia, Bond told the Beacon on Tuesday -- noting that Obama had cancelled previous plans to visit the country where he had lived for four years as a child. Bond, who wrote a book last year about the importance of improving U.S. ties with Southeast Asian countries, said Indonesia is particularly important because of its large Muslim population and its potential as a trade partner.
In the book, "The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to Global Peace with Islam," Bond and coauthor Lewis M. Simons, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, contend that the next front in the global war on terror will be in Southeast Asia, where fundamentalist Islam has gained traction. They outline a plan to try to defuse potential terrorism in the region by deploying "smart power" -- that is, American civilians who teach, start businesses or help improve health services -- rather than the traditional, and ultimately less effective, threats of military force.
"I believe we can and must establish much better relations with the Islamic world by supporting moderate countries -- as most of them are in Southeast Asia -- and helping them develop their economies, educational institutions, political and diplomatic skills," Bond said. "I'm a big supporter of the Peace Corps and Vista and activities that will bring more tourists there. That's how we can help strengthen the countries."
Bond first traveled to Asia as part of trade delegations when he was Missouri's governor and has visited the region almost every year since he became a senator. He has urged Missouri companies to heighten their involvement in the region and the state's universities, particularly Washington University and Webster University, to increase student exchanges. Among the Missouri firms with major sales in Southeast Asia are Monsanto, Emerson Electric, Peabody Coal, and the Boeing Corp.
Bond, whose book was published last fall, also was interviewed today on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, where he explained the importance of stability in Southeast Asia and the prospects for increasing trade. Noting that trade with the region has been on the upswing in recent years, Bond said: "We export almost as much to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam as we do to China."