Bush to visit Beijing during Asian tour

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MARCH 17. The U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, is making plans to visit Beijing prior to heading to Shanghai for the meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum this October. The White House made this announcement a day after China formally said that Mr. Bush would be in Beijing.

The announcement of Mr. Bush's travel plans to Beijing comes at a time when the new Republican administration is fine-tuning its East Asian policy making it known quite clearly in the process that Washington will be paying more attention to traditional allies and friends in the region, notably Japan. The Bush administration has also made it plain that it does not view China as a ``strategic partner''. The other parts of Mr. Bush's travel to Asia later this year have not been fully finalised; and the expectation is that he will be adding at least one other major destination in course of time. In 1998, the former President, Mr. Bill Clinton, was criticised for skipping Asian capitals such as Tokyo and Seoul largely out of a deference to the wishes of the Chinese.

Even before the fuller aspects of the travel plans to China are put in place, Washington and Beijing are getting ready for some heady times in their bilateral relationship. The Republican administration has started confidentially briefing Congress on the Taiwan Arms shopping list and there are reports that this administration has finalised the package. The formal decision is normally taken around mid-April.

For the third year in a row, Taiwan is seeking four Aegis- equipped missile destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles valued at US $1 billion per piece. And there is increased pressure on the administration from conservative Republicans to let Taiwan what it needs on account of a growing threat perception from China. And Beijing's chief worry is that the Aegis systems gives Taiwan the ballistic missile defence capability. In spite of the growing pressure from Capitol Hill and other conservative quarters, Mr. Bush is expected to follow the footsteps of his predecessor and not grant the Aegis sale which is generally seen as one of the most sensitive issues in bilateral ties. The impression is that the new Bush administration despite all of its anti-China rhetoric will see the larger picture of national interests.

The pressure on the administration on granting Taiwan's main request which will be brought formally by a top Naval official next week also comes at a time when there have been reports of China having completed a second missile base just 135 miles off Taiwan. The Pentagon is worried of the Chinese M-9 missile buildup across the Taiwan Straits. Mr. Bush is expected to raise the new missile base and a number of other issues with the visiting Chinese Vice-Premier, Mr. Qian Qichen, during a scheduled meeting next week. Mr. Qian, a respected expert in international affairs, and Mr. Bush will be discussing the full range of subjects, the White House has said.

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Section  : International
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