Obama cancels APEC trip due to gov't shutdown

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has canceled his plan to attend an APEC summit in Indonesia and a East Asia summit in Brunei next week because of the government shutdown impasse, the White House said late Thursday.

"Due to the government shut-down, President Obama's travel to Indonesia and Brunei has been canceled," the White House said in a statement.

Obama made the decision in order to continue pressing his case that Republicans should immediately allow a vote to reopen the government. Secretary of State John Kerry will lead US delegations to both countries in place of the president, it said.

The White House described the cancelation of Obama's Asia trip as "another consequence of the House Republicans forcing a shutdown of the government," which will set back the ability to create jobs through promoting US exports and advancing its leadership and interests in the largest emerging region in the world.

Obama on Wednesday scrapped his planned visits to the Philippines and Malaysia, other two stops in a four-nation trip to Asia.