HONOLULU -- U.S. President George W. Bush, during his recent visit to Asia, seized the opportunity to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the promotion of democracy, free and fair trade, and political and especially religious freedom. But other opportunities were missed in terms of better defining America's current and future role in Asia.
Bush's tour, which included stops in Japan, South Korea, China and Mongolia, began with a major Asia policy address in Kyoto, where he stressed that "freedom is the bedrock of America's friendship with Japan -- and it is the bedrock of our engagement with Asia." Underscoring the promotion of democracy theme that played so prominently in his second inauguration address, he identified freedom as "the basis of our growing ties to other nations in the region and . . . the destiny of every man, woman, and child from New Zealand to the Korean Peninsula."
Citing the examples of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, he noted that "freedom is an outgrowth of economic prosperity," and that the "best opportunity to spread the freedom that comes from economic prosperity is through free and fair trade." He cited Myanmar and North Korea as examples of states "whose leaders have refused to take even the first steps to freedom." Beijing got off easier; Bush cited China as among those states that "have taken some steps toward freedom -- but they have not yet completed the journey."