President Bush's 2002 State Visits in Asia: Implications

Publication Date: March 2002

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

In late February 2002, President George W. Bush made his second visit to Asia in four months, stopping in Japan, South Korea, and the People's Republic of China. Although the fight against global terrorism was clearly at the top of the U.S. agenda in all three countries, the President also addressed other issues of particular concern in each relationship. In addition, the Administration was careful to portray the visits as opportunities for dialogue and discussion, without raising expectations that any dramatic breakthroughs would be achieved through the visits.

In Japan, the President took a low-key approach, deliberately refraining from putting public pressure on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi about the country's ongoing economic problems, which U.S. officials increasingly view as matters of regional security concern to the United States. Other discussions in Tokyo were conducted under the broad format of a recently inaugurated Strategic Dialogue, and focused on further anti-terrorism cooperation, broader security cooperation, policy toward China, and regional threats to peace and stability, primarily by North Korea.

The President's South Korea visit was somewhat more troubled, particularly given the President's cool reception early in 2001 to President Kim Dae-jung's "sunshine policy" of dialogue and accommodation with North Korea. In addition, the President's January 2002 description of North Korea as part of an "axis of evil" seemed to emphasize the divisions between the two capitals. Still, the Administration concentrated on initiatives to stabilize the relationship, minimize the policy differences over North Korea, and gain further South Korean support for anti-terror initiatives.

The China visit was more notable for the subtle but decided change in the atmosphere of U.S.-China relations since the President first took office. Having begun their relations with a crisis in the South China Sea, both Bush Administration and Chinese officials now see the potential for Sino-U.S. cooperation against global terrorism as an opportunity to craft a more productive and less hostile relationship. Nonetheless, U.S. officials left without having made progress on resolving the "November 2000 agreement," in which the PRC made non-proliferation pledges and promised to put an export control regime in place, and the United States promised to lift existing restrictions against certain technology exports. The PRC is maintaining that it is legally obligated to follow through on missile sales agreements that pre-date the November 2000 agreement the so-called "grand-fathering" issue and that it is still working on an export control regime. U.S. officials interviewed by CRS claimed they had not expected the issue to be resolved during the Bush visit.

This report will not be updated.