WASHINGTON — President Obama will make Asia his first overseas destination since his re-election, with a trip this month that is to include a historic visit to Myanmar and underscore his desire to reorient American foreign policy more toward the Pacific during his second term.
The White House announced on Thursday that the newly re-elected Mr. Obama would head to an annual international economic summit meeting in Cambodia and stop in Thailand and Myanmar. No sitting American president has visited either Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, or Cambodia, allowing Mr. Obama to reinforce his commitment to the region.
The trip from Nov. 17 to 20 will be a quick one, squeezed in just before Thanksgiving, as Mr. Obama focuses most of his energy on confronting tax and spending issues that must be addressed by the end of the year and rebuilding his team for the next four years. The White House said that while in the region, the president would discuss “a broad range of issues,” including economics, security and human rights.