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Asia trip to focus on trade, terrorism

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Times Staff Writer

President Bush arrived here today to begin an Asian tour knitting together the twin issues of economic security and counter-terrorism that are at the center of his agenda for the final two years of his presidency.

Over five days, the trip will take Bush from Singapore to Hanoi, for a Pacific Rim economic summit, and to Ho Chi Minh City and Indonesia, where he will seek cooperation in the campaign against terrorism.

Bush, who left Washington on Tuesday, spent two nights aboard Air Force One, flying by way of Moscow.

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During a refueling stop Wednesday at Vnukovo II International Airport, the president and First Lady Laura Bush spent about 90 minutes with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, and his wife, Lyudmila, lunching on Kamchatka crab, pancakes with red and black caviar, and other Russian delicacies.

The Russian news media said the presidents discussed efforts to persuade Iran to freeze its nuclear enrichment program and Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization, which will probably get a boost in Hanoi.

Bush’s trip is centered on a three-day visit to Vietnam, his first and the second by a U.S. president since the end of the Vietnam War. President Clinton visited in November 2000, two months before leaving office.

Although the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is focused on economic and trade issues, it takes place against the backdrop of the anti-terrorism campaign, the rise of China as an economic and diplomatic presence, and the loss of Republican Party foreign policy dominance after the congressional election.

“All Asian friends will be watching initially President Bush and his team in terms of his body language, his statements, to see whether he will be weakened or committed to going forward with a broad and purposeful agenda in Asia as a whole,” said Kurt Campbell, a former senior Pentagon official and senior vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

One of the first tests of Bush’s ability to move forward is the challenge posed by North Korea’s explosion of a nuclear device on Oct. 9. It will probably be a central topic on the sidelines of the summit.

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Speaking with reporters last week, Stephen Hadley, Bush’s national security advisor, said there was a possibility that the government in Pyongyang “would take some action” during the summit to demonstrate its belligerence.

As the place where the foreign policy of several U.S. presidents went awry, Vietnam will prove a challenge for Bush.

Critics may find it easy to draw parallels between the war in Iraq and the war in Vietnam: fighting with no sign that the administration’s political goals are being met; a steady drain on the U.S. military; daily casualty reports in the news media; popular opinion in the United States and beyond turning against the president; and growing evidence of civil war.

For Vietnam, Bush’s visit is part of a diplomatic coming-out party more than 31 years after the communists’ victory led to the country’s unification.

The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is being held in Vietnam for the first time, lending legitimacy to the Hanoi government and recognition to its powerful economic engine.

Vietnam’s economy has grown dramatically after the introduction of market reforms. Last year, it grew at a rate of 8.4%, although per-capita income was a meager $638.

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The annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which was established in 1989, brings together leaders from the Pacific Rim with the goal of advancing economic growth, opening trade and promoting trade-related security.

The participating countries account for 40% of the world’s population, 56% of its economic output and 48% of world trade.

For Bush, Singapore is an appropriate launching point for a trip linking economic, diplomatic and security concerns.

The country has been a historic center of Southeast Asian trade, has maintained close ties with the United States, particularly to Republican presidents, and is an ally of the administration in the U.S.-declared war on terrorism.

With connections throughout the region, Singapore also offers Bush perspectives on China’s growth and conditions in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation, said Campbell, the think tank analyst. Bush’s final stop there Monday has been limited to about six hours because of security concerns.

The president scheduled a series of meetings with Singaporean leaders today, followed by a speech at the National University of Singapore that is expected to focus on economic security and the fight against terrorism, disease and poverty.

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Before the afternoon meetings, the president was expected to tour the Asian Civilizations Museum, which features 1,300 artifacts of Chinese, Southeast Asian, South Asian and West Asian Islamic cultures.

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james.gerstenzang@latimes.com

Times staff writer David Holley in Moscow contributed to this report.

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