Asian leaders arrive in U.S. to nurture ties with Bush govt<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AFP): Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen and
\nJapanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori have arrived in the United
\nStates ahead of separate talks with President George W. Bush
\nlater in the week.<\/p>\n
Mori's plane landed at Andrews Air Force Base just before 4:00
\npm on Sunday (4 a.m. Jakarta time on Monday), a day before he is
\nscheduled to visit Bush.<\/p>\n
In comments to reporters while en route to the United States,
\nMori said the talks would cover the faltering Japanese economy,
\nsecurity ties between Japan and the United States.<\/p>\n
\"I believe it is extremely important that Japan and the United
\nStates confirm economic policies at the top leaders' level at
\nthis point in time,\" Kyodo News quoted Mori as saying on a
\ngovernment flight to Washington.<\/p>\n
Also figuring high on the agenda was last month's sinking of a
\nJapanese trawler by a US nuclear submarine. \"I would like to
\nconfirm the United States' sincere attitude in the investigation
\ninto the accident's cause, efforts to salvage the ship and issues
\nof compensation for the victims' families,\" Mori said, according
\nto Jiji Press.<\/p>\n
Mounting uncertainty over Mori's lameduck premiership and
\npolitical fallout from a disaster at sea off Hawaii that saw a US
\nnuclear submarine slam and sink a Japanese fishing trawler will
\ncloud the meeting planned as a bid by Bush to reinvigorate US
\nties with Japan.<\/p>\n
The meeting also comes amid concerns Japan's slumbering
\neconomy may be about to slip back into crisis, just as the United
\nStates experiences its own slowdown -- an issue likely to be high
\non the agenda at the talks.<\/p>\n
\"It is in our interest that Japan be economically strong and
\nprosperous,\" said White House spokesman Scott McClellan on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Mindful of the anger in Japan over the submarine disaster,
\nwhich killed nine Japanese, U.S. officials are going out of their
\nway to accommodate Mori, despite what appears to be his limited
\npolitical life back home.<\/p>\n
Mori's visit comes as a navy inquiry into the tragedy winds
\ndown. Japanese embassy officials said here Friday he would stop
\nin Hawaii on the way home to meet relatives of the dead and to
\nlay a wreath.<\/p>\n
Qian arrived in New York for a series of talks with U.S.
\nofficials to culminate with a meeting with Bush on Thursday.
\nA foreign policy veteran, Qian is hoping to size up Bush's new
\nadministration, which only weeks after taking power has shown
\nevery sign of living up to a campaign pledge to take a firm
\nstance towards Beijing.<\/p>\n
\"The purpose here is to start the dialogue,\" said a senior
\nadministration official, admitting the \"complicated\" nature of
\nSino-U.S. relations.<\/p>\n
Looming over the talks are policy clashes about Taiwan, human
\nrights and Beijing's staunch opposition to Bush's plans to
\ndevelop a missile defense shield, fueling a view here the two
\ngiant states are on a collision course.<\/p>\n
Those differences have been aired in a very public dialogue
\nbetween the two sides, veering from stinging Chinese attacks on
\nU.S. Taiwan policy to conciliatory remarks by Premier Zhu Rongji
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Bush announced he would accept an invitation to
\nvisit Beijing following the Asia-Pacific Cooperation forum summit
\nin Shanghai in October.<\/p>",
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