video transcript

(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION) U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed Myanmar on Monday (November 19) to fly to Cambodia. Obama on Monday became the first serving U.S. president to visit Myanmar, trying during a six-hour trip to strike a balance between praising the government's progress in shaking off military rule and pressing for more reform. Obama's Southeast Asian trip, less than two weeks after his re-election, is aimed at showing how serious he is about shifting the U.S. strategic focus eastwards as America winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The so-called "Asia pivot" is also meant to counter China's rising influence. In Cambodia, Obama is set to meet leaders of Southeast Asian states and partner countries.