Yet Obama is denying the obvious, declaring at the joint press conference with Benigno Aquino III: "Our goal is not to counter China. Our goal is not to contain China. Our goal is to make sure international rules and norms are respected, and that includes in the area of international disputes."

He was actually talking about the Phillipines' claim over China's Huangyan Island, also known as the Scarborough Shoal; the Spratly Islands, the continental shelf, and its 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

But the new agreement will not protect Aquino's claims, as the agreement is governed by the U.S-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) which was signed in 1951, long before the Philippines made the above-mentioned claims.

What the new agreement does is to legalize the increased American military presence in the Philippines through a careful choice of words: "rotation" instead of permanent presence. That serves Washington's purpose.

Tom Donilon, Obama's former National Security Advisor, who was the true initiator of Obama's rebalance to Asia strategy, argued that the United States should disengage in Iraq and Afghanistan in order to concentrate on dealing with its chief adversaries: China and Iran.

In an article that he wrote for the Washington Post, he argues that Obama is on the right course with his reorientation toward Asia. But he also denies the strategy is to contain China, citing the fact that the United States has a $500 billion annual economic relationship with China.

His argument is only half true. The whole truth is that the United States both contains and engages China, for its own benefit.

On this Asia trip, Obama has seriously antagonized China and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.ccgp-fushun.com/opinion/zhaojinglun.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.