Outside View: U.S. shutdown costs longer-term relations with Asia: No good has come from the political deadlock plaguing Washington. But the U.S. government shutdown and looming fears about the nation's debt levels have hurt the country's relations with Asia particularly hard.
Even if the U.S. Congress is able to reach a compromise soon to get back to business as usual, U.S. relations with the Asia-Pacific region may suffer in the longer term.
What's more, it may give further impetus to China as well as its neighboring nations to envisage an Asia with an ever-decreasing U.S. presence. Reversing such a perception and undoing the damage done due to days of U.S. inaction will require considerable and consistent commitment from Washington for the long haul.
