Clinton seeks greater Southeast Asia ties

TOKYO: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is hoping to revitalize U.S. economic and development ties with Southeast Asia as she visits Indonesia during her first overseas trip as America's top diplomat. In Jakarta on Wednesday and Thursday in the second leg of her trip, Clinton intends to announce plans to step up Washington's engagement with a region that often felt slighted by the Bush administration.Clinton also plans to use the stop to continue the Obama administration's efforts to rehabilitate America's image abroad, particularly among Muslims. Indonesia is the world's most populous Islamic nation, and it has personal ties for President Barack Obama,who spent part of his childhood living there.Clinton will visit the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat in Jakarta and is likely to signal U.S. intent to sign the regional bloc's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Clinton will also pledge to attend the group annual foreign ministers meeting in Thailand this year, U.S. officials said.