The United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday that the U.S. will strengthen its economic engagement in Asia Pacific, in addition to the strategic and security dimensions of what has been known as a " pivot" to the region.

Delivering a lecture on U.S. diplomatic strategies in the region, Clinton said President Barack Obama is visiting Asia shortly after his re-election because much of the history of the 21st century will be, and is being, written in the region.

She said it is clear that economics are increasingly shaping the strategic landscape and that for the first time in modern history, nations are becoming major global powers without also becoming global military powers.

"Emerging powers are putting their economics at the center of their foreign policies. And they're gaining clout less because of the size of their armies than because of their GDP (gross domestic product)," she said. "So to maintain our strategic leadership in the region, the U.S. is also strengthening our economic leadership. "

The top U.S. diplomat said the U.S. has been updating its foreign policy priorities to give more attention to economics since she laid out what she called U.S. "economic statecraft" last year. It is turning to economic solutions for strategic challenges and acting together with businesses to step up commercial diplomacy, too.

"In short, we are shaping our foreign policy to account for both the economics of power and the power of economics," she said.

Clinton said it is time for the U.S. to seize opportunities to shore up its strength for years to come after spending enormous time, resources and attention on the war in Iraq that is now over and the war in Afghanistan that is winding down.

Such efforts include free trade talks with countries like South Korea, as well as multilateral platforms like the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In particular, the Tans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a comprehensive but controversial free trade agreement with stringent standards, embodies what the United States sees as the standards for the new century.

The TPP involves countries like Singapore, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico and Canada. Japan is showing strong interest, too.

Clinton said the United States is offering to assist with capacity building so that every ASEAN member "can eventually join. "

The United State is also elevating the roles of its economic diplomacy in Europe, Latin America as well as Africa, she said.

"In negotiations with China and India on bilateral investment treaties, we are seeking a level playing field between American companies and their competitors, including state-owned enterprises, " she said in a brief mention of the two emerging economies.

She also highlighted cyber issues, energy and state capitalism as some of the fields where she saw challenges.

Clinton, who will be stepping down as secretary of state soon, said that the U.S. Congress is committed to avoiding year-end " fiscal cliff" as tax increases and spending cuts loom.

"Now I'm out of politics, but let me assure you that for all the difference between the political parties in my country, we are united in our commitment to protect American leadership and bolster our national security," she said.

Clinton arrived in Singapore on Friday to meet leaders of the city state ahead of the 21st ASEAN summit and related summits in Cambodia. She will join Obama in Thailand, Burma and Cambodia. Endi

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