BANGKOK — In his last presidential visit to Asia, U.S. President George W. Bush laid out what he considered was his legacy for the region. But what he left out in his last major Asia policy speech, delivered earlier this month in Bangkok, was as revealing as what he underlined as his success.
Bush chose as his overarching paradigm the core American ideals of freedom, prosperity and security, portraying them as the cornerstones of his administration's policy results in Asia. The good news for his successor is that the outgoing president's approach toward Asia leaves much room for maneuver and much policy space in which to operate.
With a wide array of Asian countries to choose from to give his remarks prior to attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, many observers in Thailand, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and others questioned why the U.S. president had landed in Seoul and Bangkok, and not other Asian capitals. These two stopovers were symbolic and testimony to America's long-standing priorities in Asia. South Korea and Thailand, two formal treaty allies of the United States, have been key pillars in Washington's engagement with the region since World War II.