President Bush - A Swan Song To East Asia
Assessment: U.S. President George W. Bush’s farewell foray to South Korea, Thailand and China was brief, but allowed him to press regional issues with his counterparts. Visiting South Korea, Bush was again blunt in his attack on North Korean human rights issues, an apparent about face from his approach to Pyongyang during his second term. He and President Lee affirmed their alliance while sharing basic principles concerning various global issues. In Bangkok, he met with Thai PM Samak Sundaravej on bilateral issues, but the focus centered on a lunch he had with nine Burmese activists. In Beijing, Bush hailed the growing relationship between China and the U.S., while pushing President Hu to grant Chinese citizens greater freedom of expression and religion. Aside from attending the Olympics in Beijing, his choice of Seoul and Bangkok were significant stops as they have formed linchpins in Washington’s engagement in the region since WWII.