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CNN Live At Daybreak

President Bush Leaving Today to Attend APEC Summit

Aired October 17, 2001 - 08:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with President Bush. He is leaving the White House this morning, headed to California today, then on to China for the Asia Pacific Summit. It is his first overseas trip since September 11, and White House correspondent Kelly Wallace has the details.

How much of a debate was there, Kelly, about whether this was the appropriate thing to do given the timing of the trip?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Considerable debate, Paula. We are told senior administration officials definitely discussing if it was the right thing for the president to do to go on this four-and-a-half day trip to Shanghai, China.

Now we do know that they definitely curtailed the trip. It was to be about 10 days with stops in Tokyo, Seoul and also Beijing so now the president will only be in Shanghai. But aides also say that President Bush has been encouraging Americans to get on with their lives, to get on with business as usual and so Mr. Bush felt it important to do the same.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The president feels very strongly as he said to the American people that we have to go about the business of doing what makes America strong and he believes that one of his most important tasks as president is to work on strengthening our alliances, as I said, to work on the global economic issues here, to continue to build the coalition against terrorism. He believes he can do that best by going to APEC.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Yes, and we saw the president yesterday talking about the humanitarian efforts in this fight against terrorism. Today, at this hour, he is meeting with congressional leaders having breakfast. Following that breakfast, the congressional leaders will watch as the president departs from the south lawn.

In Shanghai, aides say the president again will focus on building and strengthening this anti-terrorism coalition. He will have meetings -- one-on-one meetings with the leaders of Russia and China and Japan. He will also have opportunities to meet with the leaders of Malaysia, also spend some time with leaders of Indonesia, countries which have some terrorism problems of their own and believed to have some linkage to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization.

Also, Paula, we have learned that a draft statement which will come out of this Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit will include basically condemning terrorism. According to a draft obtained by CNN, the statement will say consider the attacks of September 11 in the United States as -- quote -- "a profound threat to the peace, prosperity and security of all people of all faiths of every nation."

Again, an important goal for the United States, getting these 21 leaders of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit together doing what they can both in the financial front, the intelligence front and, of course, in the military front to condemn terrorism of all sorts.

Paula, back to you.

ZAHN: Kelly, thanks so much.

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