Obama's domestic issues trump foreign policy

BEIJING - Although US President Barack Obama said his nation had "answered the call of history" after the crucial healthcare reform bill was passed Sunday night, analysts say foreign policy matters have been overshadowed by domestic issues, which have consumed the president's energies in his first 14 months in office.

The narrow (219-212 votes) victory, with Republicans unanimously opposing the bill, has come at a time when Obama's ratings hover just below the 50-percent mark.

Chinese experts said the US president has shown timidity in his foreign policy and that the focus has shifted from pressing global issues.